Malicious mobile apps have grown to become a major problem in recent months.
These apps, which pose as useful apps or as other apps entirely, serve no purpose, but once installed they can infect a users device with malware, adware, ransomware, and viruses, putting their sensitive information and digital security at risk. This has led many mobile users to wonder how they can avoid falling prey to these fake apps. Here are just a few steps you can take to dodge malicious mobile apps.
Only Use The App Store
One of the best ways to avoid malicious apps is to only download apps from reputable app stores such as the Google Play Store for Android devices and the Apple App Store found on iPhones.
While some recent cases exist of malicious apps existing in these app stores, Apple and Google do a good job of verifying apps and removing malicious programs, which makes it safer to download apps from these sources than it is to download apps from third-party app stores and websites.
Check The Developer
Since fraudulent apps do occasionally make their way onto Apple and Google’s official app stores, it is also critical that you check who the listed developer is on the app’s page in the app store. The fact is that some malicious apps will pose as well known apps such as Facebook and Twitter, however, when you inspect these apps closer you will see that the app was not developed by these companies and that the icons are not quite right. Thusly, before you download any app you should see who the developer is, and you should google the developer to see if their apps are legitimate.
Check Reviews
An easy way to tell whether an app is legitimate is to look at the reviews. Well-known apps will have many reviews, and those reviews will generally be favorable. However, if reviewers leave feedback suggesting that an app is malicious, or if an app only has a handful of reviews, then you will likely not want to download that app.
Whenever you download a new app it is critical that you take your time to inspect the app and make sure that it is legitimate in order to protect your device from harm. Contact us to learn more about malicious apps and the steps you can take to protect yourself against them.
Leave a Reply