{"id":846,"date":"2022-05-23T09:38:01","date_gmt":"2022-05-23T14:38:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.glasswire.com\/blog\/?p=846"},"modified":"2022-10-05T08:12:47","modified_gmt":"2022-10-05T13:12:47","slug":"how-to-spot-malicious-apps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.glasswire.com\/blog\/2022\/05\/23\/how-to-spot-malicious-apps\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Spot Malicious Apps"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A malicious app is created specifically with the intention to cause harm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They’re usually designed to appear as innocent apps, or even clones of official apps, to steal sensitive information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, a malicious developer could design a storage cleaner app to steal files and data from the users that install it on their devices. Or, clone a familiar banking app to take your account details.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>What Makes an App Malicious?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are plenty of applications that exist that could be vulnerable to hacking but overall have no sinister intentions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, any app that collects location data could be intercepted by a hacker looking to steal that information. These appear as riskier apps but aren’t developed to cause deliberate harm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Malicious apps, on the other hand, exist primarily<\/strong> to either steal information from the user who installs it or to manipulate the device it’s installed on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>Malicious Behavior to Look Out For<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Developers have smart ways to make malicious apps appear genuine, so it’s vital you understand how to spot a malicious app before downloading it to your device.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>Avoid third-party APK files<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Apple and Google official app stores protect you and your data from harm by verifying that the apps they offer are safe. Third-party sites offering APK files to download do not offer protection<\/strong> and pose a significant security threat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Apple verifies all apps in the store. On Android, look for the ‘Verified by Play Protect’ message when installing an app.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>App Store Reviews and Strange App Descriptions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A legit app has lots of genuine reviews and ratings left by users. They also have descriptive information about how the app works.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you come across an app that has almost no reviews, or the reviews appear to be copied and pasted, this could be a warning sign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Similarly, if there’s no app description or the information is vague with lots of grammatical errors, chances are the app could be malicious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>Check for higher-than-usual data usage<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Malicious apps often use your data to perform sketchy tasks in the background without your knowledge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Check your monthly data usage in your settings, or install a dedicated data monitor like GlassWire<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If something doesn’t seem right, and the problematic app appears to be using far more data than it should be, uninstall it immediately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>Common Mobile Vulnerabilities<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Mobile devices can be susceptible to malicious apps or other kinds of security threats because they have certain vulnerabilities that hackers exploit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>Data Leaks<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When you install an app, how often do you check what permissions you’re allowing?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Apps often collect sensitive data and we don’t read the fine print to see what this is. You could potentially be handing over a lot of your personal information without realizing it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>Open Wifi<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Open wifi spots\u2014ones you can connect to without a password\u2014can be convenient in a pinch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, they pose a massive risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When your device is connected, hackers can easily intercept the data you’re sending and receiving and even access your device.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>Old or Out-of-Date Device<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Did you know that mobile devices only receive software and security updates for a certain number of years?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After that, the device becomes a huge target for hackers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As newer models come out, developers stop providing support for the older devices. This leaves big gaps in security which can be exploited.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>Poor Password Protection<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Kaspersky Labs found that over half of consumers<\/a> don’t password-protect their mobile devices. Are you one of them?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Leaving your mobile device easy to access poses a threat to your personal data if the phone is lost or stolen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>Avoiding Malicious Apps with a Personal Firewall<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Choosing a personal firewall proactively protects your devices in several ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A quality personal firewall can:<\/p>\n\n\n\n