Malware And The Removal Of The Gooligan Virus
An Israeli security firm has revealed that over one million Google accounts have been compromised by malware called Gooligan. The firm, Check Point, has been tracking this malware for over a year. That’s where malware And the removal of the Gooligan Virus come in.
The Gooligan virus was first detected in the SnapPea application. SnapPea, which can be downloaded on Windows from Cnet, was infected by the hackers with malicious malware. When users physically connected their Android devices to the computer, SnapPea downloaded apps to the device, with the user’s permission. However, the malware also downloads fake apps to the connected smartphone, which then gain root access to the device and collect personal information and Google authentication tokens, which can be used to log into Google accounts. The malware then relates this information back to its servers.
The malicious apps, which look legitimate, can also be installed from third-party app sites and by clicking on links in phishing attacks. Gooligan even leaves fake reviews on these apps to get people to download them.
How do you know if your account was hacked? Check Point, which has been working with Google on this issue, has developed a tool to check whether the email address associated with your account has been compromised. Simply enter your email address here.
If your account has been breached, you need to change your passwords immediately. You also need to do a clean operating system install on your device, through an operation called “flashing.” Contact a technician for help with that.
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