EPISODE 161

The FBI Warns About Beta Apps

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Summary

Last week, the FBI issued a warning for users of beta apps. Cybercriminals have discovered that beta apps are not checked for malware as thoroughly as final versions, so they are exploiting the process to hide malware and phishing pages in fake beta apps.

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Transcript

You might have heard the term “beta software” and you might have even received an offer to try it out. Beta software allows small groups or the public to test software before it’s released. However, the FBI recently published a warning about using beta apps on your phone.

For Personal Tech Media, this is Two Minute Tech. I’m Jim Herman.

Beta testers can be invaluable for software companies. They can help the company know where there are problems with the software before they push them out for everyone. However, beta software can also be dangerous for users, especially those with more limited technical knowledge. I know of a couple people who downloaded beta versions of software and ended up with corrupted files.

Beta software recently landed on the FBI’s radar. Both Android and iOS have ways to allow users to install beta versions of their apps. However, the criminals have discovered that beta apps are not checked for malware as thoroughly as the final releases. Thus, they are creating fake copies of apps listed as beta versions to sneak them past the App Store approval process.

This process of abusing beta apps has become common among cryptocurrency thieves. Fraudulent apps masquerading as beta versions of actual crypto apps may trick users into depositing money under the guise of investing in crypto.

Whether you’re downloading a crypto app or anything else, I recommend avoiding beta versions altogether. It’s possible you’ll encounter bugs when you use them, and as this FBI report shows, it’s also possible you could end up with malware instead of an actual app.

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