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malw

M

alware has always been a naggin

problem that Android hasn’t been

shift during its lifespan. Duetothe

nature of the operating system, hackers are

constantly exploiting different holes in the sy

with sophisticated forms of malware, which G

simply cannot keep up with.

Although a recent report by Forbes showed

a shocking 97 per cent of all mobile malware is

Android devices, users can take a number of

precautions to keep their phone or tablet safe a

save any potential embarrassment if their sensi

With 97% of all mobile

these tips to make sure

Unknown sources

Open up the Settings on your phone and

disable the ‘Unknown Sources’ option listed in the

Security section. This will prevent any third-party

APK files from being installed on your device.

Stay up to date

Whenever you get the chance to update

your operating system, make sure to do it. Exploits

are consistently being found in older versions of

the Android operating system and to minimise

your chance of picking up malware, it’s best to

upgrade when possible.

Explore encryption

From your fi les to your contact list, everything

on your Android device can be encrypted. If your

phone ends up getting infected by malware, then the

encryption will ultimately help to prevent the

malicious software from accessing your fi les.

Dodgy downloads

Copycat apps – which have similar names

to genuine ones – are fairly common on the

Google Play store, so ensure you’re downloading

only from reputable developers. If you’re ever in

doubt about an app’s authenticity, read the user

comments at the bottom of each listing.

Free trials

Many conspicuous antivirus apps on the

Google Play store offer free trials for you to try

them out. In some cases, however, this is simply

a ploy to get you to download what is actually a

malware app, upon which it can then fi ll your

device with various bits of spyware.

Block ads

Although it’s been offi cially removed from the

Google Play store, users can still fi nd the invaluable

Ad-Blocker app on the web. Installing this app can

help stop any pesky pop-up ads appearing in places

where you may accidentally press on them.

Read permissions

It’s important to understand what each

app permission does when you download it (more

on this later), so make sure to scrutinise every app

you download. Does that new farming game you

want to download really need access to make

calls and texts?

Watch out for phishing

If you’re an avid email user, make sure not

to open up any potentially harmful links contained

within some emails on your phone. Phishing

attempts are becoming increasingly common and

can cause major problems if you enter account

login details.

Root issues

Unless you’re technically savvy, then it’s

best to avoid rooting your device. Doing so leaves

your phone vulnerable to a whole range of

potential problems down the road, including

malicious software.

Connect to PC

If you’re transferring fi les across to your

phone via a USB connection, perform a full virus

scan on any fi les before you transfer them, to make

sure that they’re completely free of harmful data.

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Set up scheduled scans using antivirus apps to regularly

check your Android for malware