Cybersecurity firm Bitdefender has launched a new tool that provides real-time chat protection for mobile-based instant messaging applications.
Dubbed Bitdefender Chat Protection, the tool apparently alerts users if malicious links are received or sent during live sessions over the world’s most popular chat software, including the likes of WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Telegram, and Discord.
The tool works via Bitdefender Mobile Security for Android, its consumer-facing platform tool for monitoring, detecting, and stopping link-based attacks delivered via messaging applications, notifications, and SMS text messages.
How does it work?
The solution continuously monitors chat sessions, alerting users of suspicious links that might attempt to steal financial data, credentials, or other sensitive information.
When malicious links are detected during chat sessions, the user then receives a warning along with information about associated risks and a suggested course of action.
If warnings are ignored, built-in web protection technologies prevent the user from navigating to the malicious webpage.
For example, if users receive a suspicious link via their messaging applications, notifications, or text messages they are notified to prevent accessing or sharing the link.
If a potentially dangerous link is inadvertently shared, users will also have the option to recall or delete the message.
In addition, Bitdefender claims the new tool can detect phishing attempts that rely on human curiosity, urgency, and impersonation.
“Mobile threats continue to increase, and cybercriminals have evolved beyond email-based phishing attacks to include SMS text messages (smishing) and popular instant messaging applications,” said Ciprian Istrate, senior vice president of operations, Consumer Solutions Group at Bitdefender.
“With the new capabilities in Bitdefender Mobile Security for Android, users can rest easy and chat safely knowing they have strong, real-time protection against malware, malicious links, and scams across their Android devices.”
The tool is already available for current and new customers and can be purchased from bitdefender.com or Google Play Store.
The news comes as messenger apps remain a popular endpoint used by cybercriminals to access systems.
A recent report from Armorblox found an unknown threat actor pretending to be WhatsApp targeted almost 30,000 endpoints and managed to circumvent Microsoft and Google email security filters in the process.
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