Identify Potential Malware for your Android Device

Everybody knows about security in PCs. Currently, nobody uses a Windows OS without any kind of antivirus or Malware detector, but that’s not the case with Android devices. Jupiter Research reckons that a full 80% of smartphones are not protected. With these results, it seems pretty obvious to raise some questions about why it happens and why could it be a problem.

Both answers are related. Computers have been around us for some decades, while the smartphones are just starting to be widely used. This means that the targets for Malware users have been growing with the generalization of portable devices. Android is the main OS in the mobile market, as Windows for PC, so it will be the focus of the new informatics criminals.

It means that we need to be careful with all the stuff we install in our devices, and pay attention to the new apps before we install them. There are a few key points we can check to minimize the risk of getting our smartphone infected with some kind of risky Malware:

• Download apps from trusted sources only. Google Play or Amazon are trusted sources. • Avoid sideloading (running APK files) from questionable sources. There is nothing dangerous in using and APK file, the problem is to know the source of this file. For example, you should never trust a source offering paid apps for free. • Learn to identify fake apps. The techniques that we all use to identify fake mails from financial institutions are valid here. Look for pixelated and poorly rendered logos, spelling mistakes, and publisher names spelled in a non-official way (like “Blackberry” instead of “BalckBerry”). • Question apps that don’t appear to do much. Check the app reviews to see if it does what it says it does. If not, it may be, for example, the source of promotional mailing. • Install security software. Major PC security companies, like AVG and Norton, offers antivirus for Android too. These apps detect and remove viruses, malware and spyware.

Source: Tech News World.