GOOGLE: A MILLION ACCOUNTS HACKED

Find out if one of them is yours

A new strain of malware called Gooligan has hacked over a million Google accounts, according to security researchers at Check Point.

On its website ( www.snipca. com/22798) the Israeli company said that Gooligan attacks Android phones and tablets, and could be used to steal data from Gmail, Google Drive and Google Photos.

Hackers also use it to install apps from the Google Play store, for which they leave positive reviews. Check Point estimates that over 2 million such apps have been installed since Gooligan was detected in August. Victims are infected by downloading malicious apps from unofficial app stores, rather than from Google Play.

Gooligan, part of the Ghost Push family of malware, targets devices running Android 4.0 (Jelly Bean and Kitkat) and 5.0 (Lollipop), which account for 74 per cent of Android devices worldwide.

Most of the affected devices (57 per cent) are in Asia, but a significant number (around nine per cent) are in Europe.

Check Point has launched a website where you can find out whether your account has been hacked. Visit https:// gooligan.checkpoint.com and enter the email address you use to sign into your Google account into the box. Tick the ‘I am not a robot’ box then click the pink ‘Check’ box (see screenshot above).

If you’ve been hacked Check Point recommends a clean installation of Android, a process known as ‘flashing’. This will probably need to be carried out by a technician or your phone company.

Google is working with Check Point to tackle Gooligan, but in a blog post ( www.snipca.com/22799) Adrian Ludwig, Google’s director of Android security, disputed the researchers’ claim that the malware steals personal data.

Ludwig said the malware’s main purpose is to “promote” apps by installing them on as many devices as possible. Google has contacted victims with instructions on how to sign back into their accounts securely.