Is Every Android Device Malware Ridden?

A claim was made by the Jill Knesek, BT’s (British Telecom) Chief of Security, that 3 in 10 Android applications contain some sort of active or dormant malware payload.  Can this be possible?  Wouldn’t this mean that if you have installed 3 or more apps, it is likely that at least one of them infected your phone?

The situation is not likely to be quite that grim, but it does pay to be careful, and follow a few simple rules.

  1. Stick to the Google Play Store – Google is doing a pretty good job of keeping fake appsout, and removing one that generate complaints.
  2. Make sure your app has a good history of positive ratings, and lots of downloads.
  3. Use an anti-malware product on your smartphone.  We use and recommend AVG Antivirus Pro or free for Android.  We are an AVG partner, and can answer any question you might have about this solution.

Take care out there.  Your little smart phone is more of a computer than that old Pentium 1 you had that ran Windows 98.  Cybercriminals are targeting these Android phone and tablets.  You should treat your Android device with the same care you would your PC or laptop.

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About the Author:

I am a cybersecurity and IT instructor, cybersecurity analyst, pen-tester, trainer, and speaker. I am an owner of the WyzCo Group Inc. In addition to consulting on security products and services, I also conduct security audits, compliance audits, vulnerability assessments and penetration tests. I also teach Cybersecurity Awareness Training classes. I work as an information technology and cybersecurity instructor for several training and certification organizations. I have worked in corporate, military, government, and workforce development training environments I am a frequent speaker at professional conferences such as the Minnesota Bloggers Conference, Secure360 Security Conference in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, the (ISC)2 World Congress 2016, and the ISSA International Conference 2017, and many local community organizations, including Chambers of Commerce, SCORE, and several school districts. I have been blogging on cybersecurity since 2006 at http://wyzguyscybersecurity.com

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