What You Need to Know about Mobile Malware

There was an era when we didn’t have to worry about catching computer viruses on our cell phones. However, with the exponential growth of mobile technologies, including application development options, mobile malware is now a problem, and it can become a significant problem for your business. Below we'll take a look at the increasing mobile malware market, including the risks and what you can do to keep it from being a problem for you.

What Is Mobile Malware?

Mobile malware works a lot like you’d assume it would. You downloaded a piece of code that is designed to be malignant in some way. Usually, people utilize their requisite app store to download applications, but occasionally users will download files from other sites, and they can carry mobile malware with them. The types of mobile malware include:

• Drive-by downloads - Sometimes when you open an infected email or visit an infected website, you can be hit with a drive-by download threat. These can deliver anything from spyware, adware, malware, or even a bot that can use your mobile device to perform their malicious bidding.
• Mobile phishing - Everyone is constantly exposed to phishing, but not always on mobile. Since more computing is done on mobile devices these days than ever before, hackers’ tactics have changed. To deliver mobile malware, scammers will utilize applications, which are disposable on mobile, to trick users into providing their account numbers, personal information, and passwords.
• Viruses and Trojan Horses - Occasionally you can download a rather seemingly harmless file only to find out that you have downloaded a virus that will scour your device for passwords and financial information.
• Madware - Often seemingly helpful programs may come with some form of adware or spyware on it. Madware, short for mobile adware, works like PC adware, gathering user information including location, passwords, contacts, and device usage.
• Mobile Browser Exploits - A device’s mobile browser isn’t a failsafe. Any action that could put you in harm’s way on a PC can do the same on a cell phone.

How to Circumvent Mobile Malware

Any maliciously designed software can present significant problems for both users and businesses. The best way to avoid being infected with mobile malware is to follow these tips:

• Install mobile security software - Just as your antivirus helps you circumvent malware, mobile security software will accomplish this.
• Download apps from official stores - Most people don’t download apps from third-party sites, but if they do, they could find themselves infected with malware. Don’t risk it.
• Ensure all applications are updated - The newest versions of mobile apps are usually protected with the newest threat definitions. Ensuring your software is patched and up-to-date is imperative.
• Utilize a mobile firewall - That's right, there are mobile firewalls that you can download on your phones.

By being aware of the proactive steps you need to take to circumvent mobile malware, you will be less likely to deal with it.

What To Do When Your Phone is Infected?

There are a lot of solutions to help you kick malware off your mobile device. We’ve found that some are better than others. Your best bet is to contact an IT professional, like the technicians at Macro Systems to get the malware off of your phone. Call us today for any of your technology needs at 703-359-9211.