Opswat, a cyber security firm, has just released some interesting data. One in three apps available in the Google Play store are infected with malicious software. This data points to third-party apps, but it’s a real eye-opener for Android users.
How did Opswat find out about all of these bad apps? The firm tested around 12,000 different apps to see how many were infected. What does this mean for Android users? Well, it all depends on how you look at it (and what apps you decide to download).
The Obvious Apps
The apps that are the most bothersome are probably the ones that you’re tempted to download. Third party Twitter, Facebook, and Angry Bird apps were some of the ones that are most likely to be infected with malicious software. Infected apps are a big problem for Android. Since Android allows all kinds of developers to create apps for the Google Play store, the problem simply multiplies every time a third-party app laced with a malicious virus appears in the store.
A number of times, Android users have downloaded infected apps, and once that happens it’s hard to get rid of the apps that have been downloaded. If you use an Android device, can you figure out which apps you should be avoiding? Maybe; but you have to be extra careful when it comes to adding an app or two to your device. Here’s how to keep from downloading bad Android apps (well, try to).
Which Apps to Avoid
As mentioned above, third-party Twitter or other social apps tend to be laced with malicious software. In addition to those apps, downloads that are of the humor or joke sort are also often treacherous. Sometimes, apps that feature emojis are also a problem. So, really, it depends on what kinds of apps you are looking for, and what types of apps you can easily avoid. If you decide that you really need that joke app or you really want to download that app that is a third-party Twitter app, you’re setting yourself up for disaster, possibly.
Then again, there are some apps of the third-party social sort that are perfectly fine to use. Those apps won’t harm your computer at all. But, how can you tell which ones are okay and which ones are bad? Well, you can’t. Not until it’s too late. Once you’ve downloaded all the apps that you’re interested in, you may find that one or two of those are bad, and there’s little you can do about it. So, stick with recognized apps, non third-party apps, and those that aren’t likely to be filled with things that will ruin your device.
Should you skip Android? No; but do be careful what you download until there are stricter Android app development rules. If you have an Android device, have you ever downloaded something that’s masquerading as a virus? Let me know what app it was, and how you recommend others avoid doing the same thing, if you have any suggestions.