With the popularity of Android on the continued rise, the number of malware infected apps have increased as well, and while malevolent software is still mostly infecting traditional computers, mobile device owners now have to accept the fact that it will only get harder to keep their phones and tablet computers free from harm, unless they take precautionary actions. The number of infected apps increases every day, and you can’t determine which ones are safe to use just by looking at the name of the app.
Here are 5 tips that will help you protect your Android device from malware:
1. First off, it is always a good idea to do a quick research on the publisher of the app. This should give you a helpful first impression; do any of the apps look suspicious? How their site set up? If it looks dodgy then don’t download anything from that publisher.
2. Research the application as well. The internet offers an abundance of information, and it shouldn’t be too hard finding reviews of an app. Try using other sources than Android Market as it may not always be truthful.
3. If you decide to install or update an app, you will often be presented with a list of permissions for that app to function. If too many permissions are needed for the installation or update, pass on the app. You have to look at the app and think “what does this app do for me”; if it asks for permissions to stuff that seems unrelated to its purpose, then you may want to steer clear of it.
4. You should try to avoid APK’s (Android Package files), wherein an application is downloaded via a 3rd party, called “sideloading”. These package files may contain malware, and you won’t know it before it’s too late.
5. Lastly you will be well off getting an antivirus/malware scanner for your phone or tablet. It will go a long way to protect you from malware, and who wouldn’t rather be safe than sorry. You can get our free Antivirus for Android.
With the growing number of malware infected apps targeting the Android platform, users will certainly benefit from taking good care and staying wary of new apps, as malware will eventually become as much a problem on mobile devices as it is on traditional computers now. As the market for Android devices increase, so does the market for criminals.
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