Scary movies are great. Scary mobile threats, not so much.
Ghosts, killer clowns, and the creatures can stir up all sorts of heebie-jeebies. The fun kind. Yet mobile threats like spyware, living dead apps, and botnets can conjure up all kinds of trouble.
Let’s get a rundown on the top mobile threats — then look at how you can banish them from your phone.
“I Know What You Did Because of Spyware”
Spyware is a type of malware that lurks in the shadows of your trusted device, collecting information around your browsing habits, personal information and more. Your private information is then sent to third parties, without your knowledge. Spooky stuff.
“Dawn of the Dead Apps”
Think haunted graveyards only exist in horror movies? Think again! Old apps lying dormant on your phones are like app graveyards, Many of these older apps may no longer be supported by Google or Apple stores. Lying there un-updated, these apps might harbor vulnerabilities. And that can infect your device with malware or leak your data to a third party.
“Bone Chilling Botnets”
Think “Invasion of the Body Snatchers,” but on your mobile device. What is a botnet you ask? When malware infiltrates a mobile device (like through a sketchy app) the device becomes a “bot.” This bot becomes one in an army of thousands of infected internet-connected devices. From there, they spread viruses, generate spam, and commit sorts of cybercrime. Most mobile device users aren’t even aware that their gadgets are compromised, which is why protecting your device before an attack is so important.
“Malicious Click or Treat”
Clicking links and mobile devices go together like Frankenstein and his bride. Which is why ad and click fraud through mobile devices is becoming more prevalent for cybercriminals. Whether through a phishing campaign or malicious apps, hackers can gain access to your device and your private information. Always remember to click with caution.
“IoT Follows”
The Internet of Things (IoT) has quickly become a staple in our everyday lives, and hackers are always ready to target easy prey. Most IoT devices connect to mobile devices, so if a hacker can gain access to your smartphone, they can infiltrate your connected devices as well. Or vice versa.
Six steps for a safer smartphone
1) Avoid third-party app stores. Unlike Google Play and Apple’s App Store, which have measures in place to review and vet apps to help ensure that they are safe and secure, third-party sites may very well not. Further, some third-party sites may intentionally host malicious apps as part of a broader scam.
Granted, hackers have found ways to work around Google and Apple’s review process, yet the chances of downloading a safe app from them are far greater than anywhere else. Further, both Google and Apple are quick to remove malicious apps once discovered, making their stores that much safer.
2) Review with a critical eye. As with so many attacks, hackers rely on people clicking links or tapping “download” without a second thought. Before you download, take time to do some quick research. That may uncover some signs that the app is malicious. Check out the developer—have they published several other apps with many downloads and good reviews? A legit app typically has quite a few reviews, whereas malicious apps may have only a handful of (phony) five-star reviews.
Lastly, look for typos and poor grammar in both the app description and screenshots. They could be a sign that a hacker slapped the app together and quickly deployed it.
3) Go with a strong recommendation. Yet better than combing through user reviews yourself is getting a recommendation from a trusted source, like a well-known publication or from app store editors themselves. In this case, much of the vetting work has been done for you by an established reviewer. A quick online search like “best fitness apps” or “best apps for travelers” should turn up articles from legitimate sites that can suggest good options and describe them in detail before you download.
4) Keep an eye on app permissions. Another way hackers weasel their way into your device is by getting permission to access things like your location, contacts, and photos—and they’ll use sketchy apps to do it. (Consider the long-running free flashlight app scams mentioned above that requested up to more than 70 different permissions, such as the right to record audio, and video, and access contacts.
So check and see what permissions the app is requesting. If it’s asking for way more than you bargained for, like a simple game wanting access to your camera or microphone, it may be a scam. Delete the app and find a legitimate one that doesn’t ask for invasive permissions like that. If you’re curious about permissions for apps that are already on your phone, iPhone users can learn how to allow or revoke app permission here, and Android can do the same here.
5) Get scam protection. Plenty of scams find your phone by way of sketchy links sent in texts, messages, and emails. Our Text Scam Detector can block them before they do you any harm. And if you tap that link by mistake, Scam Protection still blocks it.
6) Protect your smartphone with security software. With all that we do on our phones, it’s important to get security software installed on them, just like we install it on our computers and laptops. Whether you go with comprehensive security software that protects all of your devices or pick up an app in Google Play or Apple’s App Store, you’ll have malware, web, and device security that’ll help you stay safe on your phone.
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