By
2030,
experts
predict
that
there
will
be
5
billion
devices
connected
to
5G.1
For
the
general
population,
this
connectedness
means
better
access
to
information,
communication
with
far-flung
loved
ones,
greater
convenience
in
everyday
tasks
…
and
more
hours
devoted
to
everyone’s
favorite
pastime:
scrolling
through
funny
online
videos.
For
cybercriminals,
this
vast
mobile
population
fills
their
pool
of
targets
with
billions.
And
criminals
are
getting
better
at
hiding
their
schemes,
making
threats
to
mobile
devices
seem
nearly
invisible.
When
undetected,
cybercriminals
can
help
themselves
to
your
personal
information
or
take
over
your
expensive
mobile
device
for
their
own
gains.
The
best
way
to
combat
criminals
and
protect
your
mobile
device
is
to
know
their
tricks
and
adopt
excellent
online
habits
to
foil
their
nefarious
plots.
Here
are
the
tips
you
need
to
uncover
these
four
hard-to-spot
mobile
threats.
1.
Spyware
What
is
it?
Spyware’s
main
ability
is
right
in
the
name:
it
spies
on
you.
Spyware
is
a
type
of
malware
that
lurks
in
the
shadows
of
your
trusted
device,
collecting
information
about
your
browsing
habits,
personally
identifiable
information
(PII),
and
more.
Some
types,
called
key
loggers,
can
keep
track
of
what
you
type.
The
software
then
sends
the
details
and
movements
it
collects
about
you
to
the
spying
criminal.
They
can
then
use
this
information
to
steal
your
passwords
and
waltz
into
your
online
accounts
or
steal
your
identity.
How
do
I
know
if
my
mobile
device
is
affected?
Malicious
downloads
are
often
the
origin
of
spyware
getting
onto
your
mobile
device.
The
spyware
hides
within
“free”
TV
show,
movie,
or
video
game
online
downloads;
however,
instead
of
getting
the
latest
episode
you’ve
been
dying
to
watch,
your
device
gets
spyware
instead.
Have
you
visited
risky
sites
recently?
Is
your
device
running
slowly,
overheating,
or
suddenly
experiencing
a
shorter-than-usual
battery
life?
One
or
all
of
these
signs
could
indicate
that
your
device
is
working
overtime
running
the
spyware
and
trying
to
keep
up
with
your
everyday
use.
How
to
avoid
it
Safe
downloading
habits
will
go
a
long
way
in
protecting
you
from
spyware.
While
streaming
from
free
sites
is
less
expensive
than
paying
a
monthly
membership
to
a
legitimate
streaming
service,
you
may
have
to
pay
more
in
the
long
run
to
reverse
the
damage
caused
by
unknowingly
downloading
spyware.
If
you’re
unsure
if
the
sites
you
visit
are
safe,
a
safe
browsing
tool
like
McAfee
WebAdvisor
will
alert
you
to
untrustworthy
sites.
2.
Malicious
Apps
What
are
they?
Malicious
apps
are
applications
that
masquerade
as
legitimate
mobile
apps
but
are
actually
a
vessel
to
download
malware
onto
your
mobile
device.
For
example,
when
Squid
Game
was
all
the
rage
in
2021,
200
apps
related
to
the
show
popped
up
on
the
Google
Play
store.
One
of
these
themed
apps
claiming
to
be
a
wallpaper
contained
malware.
How
do
I
know
if
my
mobile
device
is
affected?
Similar
to
spyware,
a
device
infected
with
malware
will
overheat,
load
pages
slowly
despite
a
solid
Wi-Fi
connection,
and
have
a
short
battery
life.
Also,
you
may
notice
that
texts
are
missing
or
that
your
contacts
are
receiving
messages
from
you
that
you
never
sent.
Finally,
your
online
accounts
may
have
suspicious
activity,
such
as
purchases
or
money
transfers
you
didn’t
authorize.
How
to
avoid
it
Avoiding
malicious
apps
requires
that
you
do
a
bit
of
research
before
downloading.
Even
if
you’re
using
an
authorized
app
store,
like
Google
Play
or
the
Apple
Store,
apps
with
hidden
malware
can
pass
the
vetting
process.
One
way
to
determine
if
an
app
is
risky
is
to
look
at
the
quality
of
its
reviews
and
its
number
of
star
ratings.
Approach
an
app
with
less
than
100
ratings
with
caution.
Also,
read
a
few
of
the
reviews.
Are
they
vague?
Are
they
written
poorly?
Cybercriminals
may
pad
their
apps
with
fake
reviews,
but
they’re
unlikely
to
spend
too
much
time
writing
well-composed
comments.
Finally,
do
a
background
check
on
the
app’s
developer
listed
in
the
app
description.
If
they
have
a
criminal
reputation,
a
quick
search
will
likely
alert
you
to
it.
Perusing
the
reviews
isn’t
a
guaranteed
way
to
sniff
out
a
malicious
app.
In
2020,
McAfee
discovered
that
one
bad
app
had
more
than
7,000
reviews.
To
help
prevent
malware
from
taking
hold
of
your
device,
consider
investing
in
antivirus
software.
Antivirus
software
isn’t
just
for
your
desktop.
Mobile
devices
benefit
from
it,
too!
McAfee
antivirus
is
compatible
with
any
operating
system
and
offers
24/7
real-time
threat
protection.
3.
Botnets
What
are
they?
A
botnet
is
a
vast
collection
of
malware-infected
devices
controlled
by
a
cybercriminal.
The
criminal
uses
their
network
of
bots
to
proliferate
spam
or
crash
servers.
Malware
is
a
broad
term
that
encompasses
dozens
of
specific
strains
of
malicious
software,
several
of
which
are
capable
of
recruiting
your
mobile
device
to
a
cybercriminal’s
army
of
bots.
Without
your
knowledge,
the
criminal
can
force
your
phone
to
message
your
contact
list
or
divert
your
device’s
computing
power
to
overload
a
server
in
a
cyberattack.
How
do
I
know
if
my
mobile
device
is
affected?
All
the
telltale
signs
of
malware
are
applicable
here
if
your
phone
is
part
of
a
botnet.
A
botnet
commander
grants
themselves
the
highest
admin
access
to
any
device
they
take
over.
That
means
you
may
also
see
new
apps
on
your
home
screen
that
you
never
downloaded
or
messages
sent
by
text,
email,
or
social
media
direct
message
that
you
never
wrote.
How
to
avoid
it
Criminals
recruiting
devices
to
their
botnet
can
embed
the
necessary
malware
anywhere
malware
typically
lurks:
in
fake
apps,
dubious
streaming
and
file-sharing
sites,
phishing
emails,
risky
links,
etc.
The
best
way
to
avoid
becoming
a
member
of
a
botnet
is
to
watch
what
you
click
on,
stay
away
from
risky
sites,
and
treat
any
message
from
a
stranger
with
suspicion.
4.
Fake
Software
Updates
What
is
it?
Cybercriminals
can
conceal
their
malware
within
fake
software
updates
that
look
official.
Fake
updates
often
pose
as
Microsoft
updates
because
of
the
company’s
huge
user
base.
Java
and
Android
operating
system
updates
have
also
been
impersonated
in
the
past.
How
do
I
know
if
my
mobile
device
is
affected?
The
common
signs
of
malware
apply
to
fake
software
updates
too.
Also,
if
a
fake
update
was
widespread,
you’ll
likely
receive
an
official
correspondence
from
the
software
provider
issuing
a
patch.
How
to
avoid
it
The
best
way
to
avoid
being
tricked
by
a
fake
update
is
to
enable
automatic
updates
on
all
your
devices.
When
your
devices
auto-update,
you
can
ignore
any
pop-up,
email,
or
text
that
urges
you
to
click
on
a
link
to
update.
Auto-update
is
a
good
practice
to
adopt
anyway,
as
it
ensures
that
you
have
the
latest
software,
which
often
means
that
it’s
the
most
secure.
Another
excellent
habit
that’ll
prevent
you
from
compromising
your
device
with
a
fake
software
update
is
to
always
preview
where
links
will
take
you.
You
can
do
this
by
tapping
and
holding
the
link.
Check
the
hyperlink
for
typos
or
for
pages
that
direct
away
from
the
organization’s
official
website.
Protect
Your
Mobile
Device
for
Better
Online
Security,
Privacy
Cybercriminals
are
getting
craftier
by
the
day,
employing
new
tools
(like
ChatGPT)
and
new
strains
to
trick
people
and
infect
mobile
devices
for
their
own
gains.
To
safeguard
all
your
devices,
consider
investing
in
a
solution
that’ll
protect
you
from
every
angle.
McAfee+
Ultimate
is
the
all-in-one
device,
privacy,
and
security
service
that
helps
you
confidently
live
your
best
online
life.
The
proactive
monitoring
features
stop
threats
in
their
tracks,
saving
you
a
massive
headache
and
guarding
your
finances
and
PII.
If
any
online
scheme
does
compromise
your
identity,
the
Family
Plan
offers
up
to
$2
million
in
identity
theft
restoration.
Mobile
malware
doesn’t
always
scream
“suspicious!”
As
long
as
you
arm
yourself
with
the
right
tools,
practice
good
habits,
and
keep
your
eyes
peeled,
you
should
be
able
to
spot
malicious
software.
1GSMA,
“The
Mobile
Economy”
About Author
