14 DAY TRIAL // In April 2012, Symantec researchers issued a warning regarding a series of malicious Android applications dubbed “The Movie apps” that targeted Japanese users in an attempt to steal information from their phones.
As it turns out, Japanese authorities have managed to identify and arrest the 5 individuals responsible for developing and spreading the malicious apps.
According to Yomiuri Online, police believe that the smartphone programs have managed to steal the personal information of 10 million users by gaining access to the address books of 90,000 infected devices.
Fortunately, investigators say that the stolen information has not been misused.
Sources close to the investigation have revealed that the owner of an IT company is responsible for developing the malware. Then, with the aid of a former president of a Tokyo-based IT firm, he uploaded his creations to Google Play where it was downloaded 270,000 times.
If found guilty, the suspects may spend up to three years in prison.