How To Identify Malware In Smartphone : Smartphone has become a necessity in today’s life. A lot of work is done at home with the smartphone. For example, various operations like making video calls, online verification, online submission of forms for job or college admissions and online payments become fast. Smartphones contain photo copies of users’ photos, videos and important documents. Leaking data online after a smartphone hack or cyber attack can also cause a huge loss to a person.
Many times the said mobile application also carries the risk of hacking the smartphone. We download many links, emails and apps on our phones in a day. Apart from this, many files also come on our smartphone in 24 hours. We do many such things on our phones every day. And in this whole process, it is possible that malware somehow enters our device. The great thing is that it can happen to anyone.
The said software is called Malware (Malicious Software) in short. It is deliberately designed in such a way that it can damage your phone, steal sensitive and confidential information stored in your device, install harmful software to monitor your online activities, or otherwise hijack your device.
Frankly, no one wants this to happen to their smartphone. However, it is also true in this hyper connected world that we need to know how malware spreads across devices and what types they are. If your phone is infected with malware there are ways to identify the malware. And what steps you can take to remove it safely, know…
What is malware and how does it get into phones?
Perhaps you have read or heard the word malware but don’t know enough about its meaning. Malware can spread not only to smartphones but to all types of electronic devices. It spreads by making copies of itself and hiding in the phone’s data files. This means that the device has to run that file for the malware to be active. Just remember that malware remains inactive without accessing the infected file. Once activated, it can also spread to other files and programs on your device.
Malware can enter your phone through websites, emails, phone calls, and apps or software downloads. In other words, malware can enter your phone through various ways. For example, cybercriminals often use phishing emails that look like they come from a trusted source. When you visit a fake website, download pirated movies or songs, or click on a popup ad, malware traps users and installs viruses on their phones. These days, many cybercriminals are tricking people into getting remote access by making phone calls to their tech support. Once successful, the malware hacks the device and steals private and sensitive information.
How many types of malware are there?
There are different types of malware and not all malware is the same. For example, a virus can spread through an app or program and crash your phone as well as steal data. So Trojan malware that pretends to be real software can crash devices, delete files and steal private data. The most common form of malware is ransomware that locks a device and its data and then demands money to return access.
Another form of malware is spyware that stealthily collects users’ private data. Tracks user’s browsing activity by showing unwanted ads to generate revenue. Scareware scares users and traps them by showing fake warnings and alerts and installs malware on the phone.
Which platform is safer against malware Android or iOS?
It depends on the circumstances. Google’s Android platform, being an open ecosystem, is considered more vulnerable to malware. However, over the past few years, Google has significantly improved the security of the Play Store.
As for Apple’s App Store, the iPhone is often considered more secure due to its closed ecosystem. But no platform is completely safe from malware. Over the past few years, cybercriminals have increasingly targeted iPhone users as well.
Strictly speaking, no platform is completely secure. Therefore, it is your responsibility to be an aware and cautious user. There are always risks associated with downloading apps and files from unverified sources.
Does your phone have malware or not? Identify this sign
There are several signs by which you can identify whether your phone has been hacked by malware or not.
Slow performance: The most visible sign of a malware infected phone is slow performance. Malware consumes a large portion of RAM. And that leaves very little space for apps and other programs to operate. Due to this, the performance of the device slows down and it suddenly takes longer than expected to open an application or browse the Internet.
Frequent popup ads : As we mentioned earlier, adware is a method of malware that silently enters your browser or applications. Not only does it generate annoying popups for the user, but it often comes with malware that can hijack your phone. To quickly overcome this problem, download an ad blocker in your phone’s browser or toolbar that will block ads during web searches.
Battery draining faster: It is true that as the phone gets older, the battery starts draining less quickly. However, if you find that your phone’s battery is draining faster than expected, it could be a sign of active malware. Malware active in the background can quickly drain your phone’s battery.
Unwanted apps : It is possible that you have downloaded an app, but after a few hours, additional apps will automatically appear on your home screen. In this case, there is a possibility that hackers have installed said apps on your phone to gain access to your files. These apps may look quite ordinary, but avoid clicking on them. It may also contain malware.
Other ways to identify malware on a phone include receiving messages from unknown sources, unusually high data usage, and unauthorized purchases.
It is worth mentioning that if you think your phone has malware, check your bank and credit card statements immediately. This notifies you of purchases made without your knowledge. Even a small transaction can be a sign that your device is infected with a virus.