So,
can
Android
phones
get
viruses
and
malware?
The
answer
is
yes,
and
likewise
you
can
do
several
things
to
spot
and
remove
them
from
your
phone.
A
couple
things
make
Android
phones
attractive
to
cyber
criminals
and
scammers.
First,
they
make
up
about
half
of
all
smartphones
in
the
U.S.
and
roughly
71%
worldwide.
Second,
while
its
operating
system
gives
users
the
flexibility
to
install
apps
from
multiple
apps
markets,
it
also
makes
the
operating
system
more
vulnerable
to
tampering
by
bad
actors.
Also,
Android
has
a
more
fragmented
ecosystem
with
multiple
device
manufacturers
and
different
versions
of
the
operating
system.
As
a
result,
each
may
have
different
security
updates,
and
consistency
will
vary
depending
on
the
carrier
or
manufacturer,
which
can
make
Android
phones
more
vulnerable
to
threats.
So,
just
like
computers
and
laptops,
Android
phones
are
susceptible
to
attack.
And
when
you
consider
how
much
of
our
lives
we
keep
on
our
phones,
the
importance
of
protecting
them
can’t
be
overstated.
Steps
truly
are
called
for.
With
a
look
at
how
viruses
and
malware
end
up
on
Androids,
you’ll
see
that
you
have
several
ways
of
keeping
you
and
your
phone
safe.
The
top
culprit:
Malicious
Android
apps
When
it
comes
to
viruses
and
malware
on
Android
phones,
malicious
apps
are
often
to
blame.
They’ll
disguise
themselves
in
many
ways,
such
as
utility
apps,
wallpaper
apps,
games,
photo
editors,
and
so
on.
Once
installed,
they’ll
unleash
their
payload,
which
can
take
several
forms:
-
Adware
that
floods
your
phone
with
pop-ups
and
clicker
malware
that
simulates
clicking
on
ads,
which
generates
ad
revenue
for
views
and
clicks
on
ads—and
which
can
steal
personal
information
as
well. -
Spyware
that
tracks
your
activity
and
can
potentially
harvest
personal
information
like
usernames
and
passwords. -
Billing
and
subscription
fraud,
which
uses
several
types
of
tricks
to
overcharge
for
services
or
subscribe
to
other
services
that
you
don’t
want.
In
some
cases,
an
app
will
offer
a
free
trial
and
then
charge
excessive
subscription
fees
after
the
trial
ends. -
Banking
trojans
that
use
sophisticated
techniques
to
skim
login
credentials
or
hijack
sessions,
which
then
let
bad
actors
steal
money
from
your
accounts. -
CoinStealers
and
fake
wallets
can
steal
your
crypto
wallet
credentials
or
seed
and
take
control
of
the
funds. -
Ransomware
and
phone
locker
attacks,
while
less
common,
lock
away
personal
info
and
files
on
the
phone
then
demand
payment
for
them
to
be
released
(payment
being
no
guarantee
that
the
hacker
will
actually
unlock
the
phone).
Google
Play
does
its
part
to
keep
its
virtual
shelves
free
of
malware-laden
apps
with
a
thorough
submission
process
as
reported
by
Google
and
through
its
App
Defense
Alliance
that
shares
intelligence
across
a
network
of
partners,
of
which
we’re
a
proud
member.
Further,
users
also
have
the
option
of
running
Play
Protect
to
check
apps
for
safety
before
they’re
downloaded.
Yet,
bad
actors
find
ways
to
sneak
malware
into
the
store.
Sometimes
they
upload
an
app
that’s
initially
clean
and
then
push
the
malware
to
users
as
part
of
an
update.
Other
times,
they’ll
embed
the
malicious
code
so
that
it
only
triggers
once
it’s
run
in
certain
countries.
They
will
also
encrypt
malicious
code
in
the
app
that
they
submit,
which
can
make
it
difficult
for
reviewers
to
sniff
out.
Beyond
Google
Play,
Android
allows
users
to
download
apps
from
third-party
app
stores,
which
may
or
may
not
have
a
thorough
app
submission
process
in
place.
Moreover,
some
third-party
app
stores
are
actually
fronts
for
organized
cybercrime
gangs,
built
specifically
to
distribute
malware.
How
do
I
know
if
my
Android
phone
has
a
virus
or
is
infected?
You
might
spot
the
signs
rather
quickly.
Sometimes,
you
might
not.
Some
malware
can
make
your
phone
run
poorly,
which
may
indicate
a
technical
issue,
yet
it
can
also
be
a
symptom
of
a
hacked
phone.
Others
work
quietly
in
the
background
without
you
knowing
it.
Either
way,
both
cases
provide
good
reasons
to
run
regular
scans
on
your
phone.
Let’s
look
at
some
possible
signs:
Sluggish
performance,
battery
drain,
and
a
hot
phone
Malware
has
a
way
of
taking
up
resources
and
eating
up
battery
life
as
it
furiously
does
its
work
in
the
background.
For
example,
adware
or
clicker
malware
can
hijack
your
phone
and
tap
the
central
processing
unit
to
run
the
complex
calculations
needed
to
mine
cryptocurrencies
like
bitcoin,
thus
putting
high
stress
on
your
device.
In
a
way,
it’s
like
having
a
second
person
using
your
phone
at
the
same
time
as
you
are.
This
can
make
your
phone
hot
to
the
touch,
like
it’s
been
sitting
in
the
sun,
because
the
stress
malware
puts
on
your
phone
could
cause
it
to
overheat.
Popup
ads
suddenly
appear
on
your
phone.
Adware
is
annoying
as
it
sounds,
and
potentially
even
more
malicious
in
nature.
If
popup
ads
suddenly
pepper
your
phone,
it
may
be
malware
that
distributes
ads
without
your
consent,
which
can
generate
revenue
for
rogue
developers
(they
can
get
paid
per
view
and
per
click).
Worse
yet,
adware
can
also
collect
personal
information
and
browsing
history
from
your
phone,
which
bad
actors
can
then
sell—a
major
invasion
of
your
privacy.
Mysterious
apps,
calls,
calendar
events
or
texts
crop
up
in
your
history.
A
potential
telltale
sign
that
your
phone
has
been
compromised
is
the
appearance
of
new
apps
that
you
didn’t
download,
along
with
spikes
in
data
usage
that
you
can’t
account
for.
Likewise,
if
you
see
calls
in
your
phone’s
history
that
you
didn’t
make,
that’s
a
warning
as
well.
You
run
out
of
data
or
see
unknown
charges
appear
on
your
bill.
Like
an
overdraft
statement
or
seeing
a
suspicious
charge
your
bank
statement,
this
is
a
possible
sign
of
malware
installed
on
your
device
and
is
using
it
to
perform
subscriptions
scam
or
premium
SMS
messages
to
unsolicited
services.
How
to
avoid
malware
and
viruses
on
your
Android
phone
Broadly,
you
can
take
two
big
steps
toward
keeping
you
and
your
phone
safer
from
attack.
The
first
is
to
keep
a
critical
eye
open
as
you
use
your
phone.
Malware
authors
rely
on
us
to
trust
what
we
see
a
little
too
quickly,
such
as
when
it
comes
time
to
download
that
new
app
or
tap
on
a
link
in
a
phishing
email
that
looks
legitimate,
yet
most
certainly
isn’t
upon
closer
inspection.
Slow
down
and
scrutinize
what
you
see.
If
something
seems
fishy,
don’t
tap
or
interact
with
it.
The
second
big
step
is
to
use
online
protection
software
on
your
Android
phone.
In
addition
to
providing
strong
antivirus
protection
and
removal,
it
has
further
features
that
protect
you
against
identity
theft,
online
scams,
and
other
mobile
threats—including
credit
card
and
bank
fraud,
malicious
texts,
sketchy
links,
and
bogus
QR
codes.
With
that,
here
are
a
few
more
steps
you
can
take:
-
Update
your
phone’s
operating
system.
Along
with
installing
security
software,
keeping
your
phone’s
operating
system
up
to
date
can
greatly
improve
your
security.
Updates
can
fix
vulnerabilities
that
hackers
rely
on
to
pull
off
their
malware-based
attacks.
It’s
another
tried
and
true
method
of
keeping
yourself
safe—and
for
keeping
your
phone
running
great
too. -
Avoid
third-party
app
stores.
As
mentioned
above,
Google
Play
has
measures
in
place
to
review
and
vet
apps
to
help
ensure
that
they
are
safe
and
secure.
Third-party
sites
may
very
well
not,
and
they
may
intentionally
host
malicious
apps
as
part
of
a
front.
Further,
Google
is
quick
to
remove
malicious
apps
from
their
store
once
discovered,
making
shopping
there
safer
still. -
Review
apps
carefully.
Check
out
the
developer—have
they
published
several
other
apps
with
many
downloads
and
good
reviews?
A
legit
app
typically
has
quite
a
few
reviews,
whereas
malicious
apps
may
have
only
a
handful
of
(phony)
five-star
reviews.
Lastly,
look
for
typos
and
poor
grammar
in
both
the
app
description
and
screenshots.
They
could
be
a
sign
that
a
hacker
slapped
the
app
together
and
quickly
deployed
it. -
Go
with
a
strong
recommendation.
Yet
better
than
combing
through
user
reviews
yourself
is
getting
a
recommendation
from
a
trusted
source,
like
a
well-known
publication
or
from
app
store
editors
themselves.
In
this
case,
much
of
the
vetting
work
has
been
done
for
you
by
an
established
reviewer.
A
quick
online
search
like
“best
fitness
apps”
or
“best
apps
for
travelers”
should
turn
up
articles
from
legitimate
sites
that
can
suggest
good
options
and
describe
them
in
detail
before
you
download.
-
Keep
an
eye
on
app
permissions.
Another
way
hackers
weasel
their
way
into
your
device
is
by
getting
permissions
to
access
things
like
your
location,
contacts,
and
photos—and
they’ll
use
malicious
apps
to
do
it.
If
an
app
asks
for
way
more
than
you
bargained
for,
like
a
simple
game
wanting
access
to
your
camera
or
microphone,
it
may
be
a
scam.
Delete
the
app.
Stay
on
guard
against
mobile
malware
Scammers
have
put
Android
phones
in
their
crosshairs.
And
for
some
time
now.
While
phishing
emails
and
smishing
texts
with
sketchy
links
persists
as
avenues
of
attack,
a
popular
form
of
attack
comes
by
way
of
malicious
app
downloads.
One
reason
why
is
that
malicious
apps
disguise
themselves
so
well,
as
a
utility
or
game
you
really
want
on
your
phone.
You’re
more
apt
to
tap
“Install”
when
you’re
actively
shopping
for
an
app
than
to
tap
on
a
link
in
an
unsolicited
email
or
text.
Yet
as
with
so
many
of
today’s
online
attacks,
a
combination
of
good
sense
and
strong
online
protection
software
can
prevent
viruses
and
malware
from
ending
up
on
your
phone.
Slowing
down
and
putting
preventative
measures
in
place
goes
a
long
way
toward
keeping
what’s
arguably
your
most
important
device
far
more
secure.
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