The keys to the kingdom are expensive even in the world of crime, but their potential reach may be worth it.
Hackers are paying up to $20,000 to get malicious apps into Google’s Play Store, researchers have found.
Getting malware (opens in new tab) into the Google Play Store is something of a jackpot for cybercriminals. The app repository enjoys a high level of trust among Android users, and most of the time, they’re happy to download apps found there without second-guessing their intentions.
To maintain its high level of trust, Google takes a number of precautions, including pre-screening apps to make sure they’re legitimate, and removing malicious ones as soon as they’re discovered.
