Android has recently observed and reported over 20,000 strains of malware infecting its customers' products. This particular malware mimics popular apps, such as Candy Crush or Snapchat. Some of these "apps" look and function very similarly to the apps they mimic; however, once they're downloaded onto a device, they are able to install themselves as system applications, meaning they gain access to other files on the device.
The potential privacy and security risk is obvious. What's even worse is that the malware is extremely difficult to remove because of its ability to gain root access to files.
How are you to know if you're protected from this malicious malware? That depends on whether or not you download apps from third party app stores. Downloading apps from outside of the Google Play Store is generally safe for those who are looking for free or discounted apps, or other apps that don't meet the standards of Google Play.
Unfortunately, the makers of these infectious apps often publish them to third party app stores. But there is a silver lining: If you abstain from downloading apps from third party stores, your risk of infecting your device becomes greatly reduced. Instead, look for a similar app in Google Play, which scans published apps for signs of malware.
Even still, you may not be fully protected. There have been apps that slip through the cracks of Google Play's malware scanning.
The best defense is to use your judgment. Before downloading an app, consider this:
- How much does the app cost? Does it seem to offer more features than you'd expect based on the price, or vice versa? That's an automatic red flag.
- How many reviews does it have compared to number of downloads? If the former greatly exceeds the latter, that's got spam written all over it.
- Look at the reviews. Were they all submitted within a short period of time? Do they all contain similar phrases or grammatical errors? Fake.
- Is the developer listed? If so, search it and see what you find. If a legitimate webpage doesn't come up, that's a bad sign.
Originally posted at: Lafayette Real Estate News
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