Brand Abuse in App Stores: Why Fake Apps Keep Winning & What Security Teams Miss
Brand abuse in app stores is no longer opportunistic. It has become repeatable, scalable, and persistent. Attackers do not publish one fake app and disappear. They operate in cycles. A fake app is uploaded, value is extracted, a takedown occurs, and a near-identical version reappears under a new developer identity. This loop runs continuously across regions, marketplaces, and distribution channels. For security teams, this changes the mandate.