We’ve seen a huge increase in Android and mobile malware over the past few years. Here are 5 reasons you need to protect your phone or tablet, just like you would your home computer.
What's the best way to protect your Android devices? The short answer is ESET Mobile Security for Android.
The long answer is that you use the award-winning, highly rated on Google Play store, ESET Mobile Security for Android.
Made by the company which holds the longest running streak of awards in independent testing, has a five-star rating on Trustpilot and has recently celebrated 30 years of innovating and pushing the envelope of IT security.
ESET Mobile Security for Android provides you with fast and powerful antivirus for your Android based Smartphone, Tablet, or even Smart TV.
It also comes packed with a whole host of security features to protect your devices beyond simply antivirus:
· Comprehensive anti-theft – which allows you to track, lock, or even wipe your device if it is lost or stolen
· Ransomware protection – protect your device from screen-lockers and ransomware
· App lock – lock specific apps with a fingerprint or pin to further protect access to your data
· Anti-phishing – prevent phishing emails from targeting vulnerabilities in your mobile device
5 important reasons you need to protect your Android devices
1. A big target
Smartphones have become an integral part of many people’s lives, but modern smartphones are so much more than just phones.
We store a great deal of personal information on them, we shop on them, even manage our finances on them. This makes them a big target for cyber criminals; particularly as most don’t see their phone as vulnerable to attack.
Why are they such a big target for malware? Find out more here.
2. Ransomware is on the rise
You’ve probably heard about ransomware in the context of Windows PC’s or even Apple Macs but you may not have heard about Android and iOS based ransomware.
ESET LiveGrid, has detected a sharp rise in ransomware targeting Android users since 2014. The stats are frightening, but not half as frightening as someone trying to force you to pay to unencrypt your phone.
3. Updates might not come out immediately
The big advantage of Android is that, as an open source operating system, phone manufacturers can customise it and develop a distinct look.
The problem with this is that it might take the manufacturer longer to release an important security update, as they have to adapt it to their custom version of Android.
This means that you might have to wait a few extra days, or even weeks, to get that update: it might not sound like a long time, but every minute matters when it comes to malware.
4. It’s not just about you
As we mentioned in number one, your phone is a data rich device making it a very juicy target. However, it’s not just your data you have to worry about.
You’ve almost certainly got a contact list, some text messages, some emails and maybe even your social media accounts on your phone. So it’s not just your data, it’s the data of your friends, family and anyone you’ve had any contact with that you could be putting at risk.
5. An ocean of apps
There are a multitude of apps out there. For example, there are dozens of weather apps on Google Play offering essentially the same service. Don’t get us wrong, variety is great but sometimes variety leads to dodgy duplicates.
Take Pokemon Go for example, there was so much hype surrounding the game that some clever crims took advantage by creating very similar looking clones to mask some nasty malware.
Whenever you’re looking for an app it’s important to look at the reviews, who the publisher is and get some award-winning antivirus to make doubly sure.
How are your Android devices protected? Let us know on Twitter @ESETUK.