The Google Play Store is the largest of its kind, hosting over 2.6 million applications, many of which have been developed by third parties. “In an open app ecosystem like Google Play the barrier to entry is low so it’s relatively easy for fake apps to infiltrate the market, leaving users at risk of being hacked,” he said. “Many fake apps appear innocent and legitimate - smartphone users can easily fall victim to app impersonations and even a tech-savvy user may struggle to detect them before installation,” explained School of Computer Science academic and cybersecurity expert Dr. Installing counterfeit apps can lead to a hacker accessing personal data and can have serious consequences such as financial losses or identity theft.

The study also found that several counterfeit apps request dangerous data access permissions despite not containing any known malware.Ĭounterfeit or ‘fake’ apps are often used by hackers to steal user data or infect a device with malware. Many of the fake apps impersonated highly popular apps and contained malware, with popular games such as Temple Run, Free Flow and Hill Climb Racing being the most commonly counterfeited.

The apps you regularly use to log your steps, edit your photos and monitor your finances may be hiding malicious software that could be tracking and even stealing your personal information.Īs part of a two-year cyber security project, researchers from CSIRO’s Data61 and the Faculty of Engineering’s School of Computer Science at the University of Sydney investigated over one million Google Play apps and discovered 2,040 potential counterfeit apps.

Fake app icons