Seven Mistakes Smartphones Users Do When Installing Third Party Apps

Many smartphone users don’t realize it, but their mobile devices can get malware in much the same way their laptops and desktop PC do. Smartphones are loaded with critical information and virus may be sitting in the background, uploading data to malicious individuals. Eventually, your phone numbers, home address, current location, bank account information, credit card information and passwords for various websites are harvested by hackers. Smartphone viruses are really dangerous because many people don’t expect to get affected by them. There are mistakes we do that make it possible for bad guys to infect our device with dangerous code.

1. We don’t use virus protection: Reliable virus protection is able to identify dangerous codes that may hide inside some apps. They may also detect installed apps with possible viral payloads. Dangerous and dubious apps can be removed and it is advisable to check our smartphone once a month.

2. We don’t install apps from reputable websites: Google Play, Amazon and manufacturer’s app stores are trusted places to install our apps. Unless we are sure that the store is reputable, then we shouldn’t buy from it. We should always stick to the trusted suppliers.

3. We buy bargain apps: Some fully-featured mobile apps could be available for $10 or more in various app stores. However, there could be an alternative app that’s available for only $1.99 or even for free. The developer swears that it is completely safe. We should choose only apps from reputable sources, instead of those from bargain websites. Many mobile users think that they are getting marvellous apps at a significant discount. However, there could be a malware that shows ads randomly or even destroy our phone.

4. We choose apps that are launched before official release date: Reputable developers often use launch dates to improve their marketing performance. However, we should try to avoid apps that are launched before their official launch dates. Scammers could use the tactic to encourage people to download the virus-infected app. This could happen when users think that they have obtained an exclusive deal.

5. We don’t update our operating system: Smartphones should be updated regularly to make their operating system stable and safe. It’s essential to update our smartphone. We should check news for the upcoming release patch available for our smartphone. If we don’t update the operating system and enhance its security features, we will be more vulnerable to dangerous apps.

6. We love to modify our smartphone: Many users choose Android smartphones, because they want to modify their smartphones. This could harm beginners who may accidentally install malicious codes into the firmware. Smartphones modifications should be performed carefully to avoid opening a pathway for dangerous apps to enter.

7. We don’t check the permission: Before installing an app, we should check its permission. We could identify risky apps by determining whether they ask for permissions for something that they don’t really need. As an example, a simple game could ask for a permission to check our location. We also need to determine whether an app really needs to access the Internet. Before installing an app, we should think of all the essential personal data that we store in our smartphone.