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Android phone on a map. Pexels/Pixabay

Kaspersky Lab has recently sounded the alarm about an Android malware so advanced, its capacity is being compared to features seen in Hollywood spy movies. The “cinematic Trojan,” according to the report, has been dubbed Skygofree.

Named after one of the domains it utilises, Skygofree is a deadly multitasker. For starters, it can locate a device and turn on audio recording as soon as it identifies the owner in a specific area. Not only that, the malware can connect the device to a Wi-Fi connection, allowing the attackers to collect and examine the data of the unsuspecting victim, including passwords and card numbers.

As if it couldn’t get any worse, the Trojan can secretly take pictures using the front camera. The process is said to happen whenever the owner unlocks the device.

The report from Kaspersky deduces that early versions of Skygofree were created by the end of 2014. It was only in late 2017 when the malware was discovered. “Over the past three years, it has grown from a rather simple piece of malware into full-fledged, multifunctional spyware,” a separate blog post says.

Avoiding the risk of Skygofree should be easy for careful users. The malware is said to be disguised as “an update to improve mobile Internet speed” in several websites masquerading as mobile operators. As soon as the Trojan has been downloaded, the effects kick in immediately and the malware conceals itself.

Kaspersky recommends avoiding the installation of apps from non-official stores. “If in doubt, don’t download. Pay attention to misspelled app names, small numbers of downloads, or dubious requests for permissions — any of these things should raise flags.”

Skygofree is reportedly one of the most powerful spyware implants Kaspersky has discovered. Late last year, a malware called Loapi had been detected. Referred to as a “jack of all trades,” it allows devices to secretly mine cryptocurrency and even destroy phone batteries.