Before You Download: Steer Clear of Malicious Mobile Apps

Cybercriminals like to get in on a good thing. Case in point, mobile apps. We love using apps and they love making bogus ones—malicious apps designed to harm phones and possibly the person using them.  


It’s no wonder that they target smartphones. They’re loaded with personal info and photos, in addition to credentials for banking and payment apps, all of which are valuable to loot or hold for ransom. Add in other powerful smartphone features like cameras, microphones, and GPS, and a compromised phone may allow a hacker to: 


Snoop on your current location and everyday travels. 
Hijack your passwords to social media, shopping, and financial accounts.
Drain your wallet by racking up app store purchases or tapping into payment apps.
Read your text messages or steal your photos. 

All of that adds up to one thing—a great, big “no thanks!” 


So how do these malicious apps work? By posing as legitimate apps, they can end up on your phone and gain broad, powerful permissions to files, photos, and functionality—or sneak in code that allows cybercriminals to gather personal info. As a result, that can lead to all kinds of headaches, ranging from a plague of popup ads to costly identity theft. 


Here are a few recent examples of malicious apps in the news:  


Fake ad blocking programs that ironically serve up ads instead. 
Phony VPN apps that charge a subscription and offer no protection in return. 
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