Viruses on smartphones

Did you know that your smartphone is just as likely to get a virus as is your computer? A lot of people don’t consider the threat of getting viruses on their smartphones. People would carelessly open links, download apps, and visit websites on their mobiles without the thought of the danger of malicious malware. Let’s talk about how smartphones can get infected with viruses and what to do about them.

Emails

Mobile phones are the most convenient device to check your emails on constantly. A lot of the emails you receive on a daily basis are spam or scam. Just like these scam emails can lead to a virus on your computer, they can infect your smartphone as well. Clicking on links in emails that you’re not sure of, or downloading attachments can easily provide a way for malicious software to download into your phone. Sometimes, a legitimate email from someone you know can also cause this harm. This happens when the sender’s computer or smartphone was also infected. A solution to this problem is to have an anti-virus installed on your mobile. In case an email or attachment is risky, you’ll be informed. The anti-virus will also make sure your phone is clean at all times.

Apps

Smartphones are all about downloading fun apps. While the majority of the apps are safe, some bad apps can download malicious software along with the app itself. This happens when viruses are embedded in the app code. Users have no idea whether an app is a threat or not. In Android phones, the Play Store now shows whether an app is verified or not. The verified apps are guaranteed to be safe on Android phones. As for iPhone users, the good news is that iOS doesn’t allow direct downloads. This prevents any virus from entering the mobile phone. However, in case your Apple smartphone is jail broken, you are just as much under threat as an Android user is.

SMS

One major usage of mobile phones is to send and receive SMS. Sometimes, unknown numbers will send you text messages. These can be advertisements or some sort of message that redirects you to another link. Clicking on these links or downloading what these SMS suggest you can be a source of downloading viruses. Other than viruses, these redirecting links can be phishing scams too. The same can be done by visiting compromised websites.

How to tell your phone is infected and what to do about it

An infected smartphone offers a very bad user experience. If you feel like your smartphone has slowed down, or your apps keep crashing, there is a possibility your smartphone has been infected. Similarly, mobiles with malicious software drain battery faster. The data usage increases, there are unusual pop ups, apps that you didn’t even download start appearing on your mobile, and basically, very unusual things start happening. If you notice any such activity, download an anti-virus. This is the best solution you have to save your smartphone from being attacked.