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Written by: 8/8/2011 12:26 PM
Raise your hand if you are addicted to your smartphone. If your hand is up, then you are one of a pretty large group. Some product researchers are predicting that 50% of cell phone users will be using smartphones by Christmas.
That makes the smartphone market a prime target for hackers—and Android users are now two-and-a-half times more likely to encounter malware than they were six months ago.
Now, before you throw your hands up and proclaim that there is no way to be free of viruses and safe from social engineers and hackers, remember: most people get hacked because they make poor choices. Sure, there are cases where people do all they can and are still defrauded, but those are probably not the norm. This study also indicated that three out of ten mobile users are likely to click on an unsafe link and expose themselves to all sorts of nasty viruses.
This concern particularly applies to Android users who purchase applications for their phones. Google does not regulate the application market for Androids as closely as Apple regulates the market for iPhone apps, so there are bound to be more faulty or fake applications out there for Android user.
Apps with tantalizing titles, that make promises they can’t keep. You know the ones I am talking about…please don’t make me spell it out…ok, fine.
B-I-K-I-N-I C-L-A-D M-O-D-E-L-S.
Now, we don’t judge. We just inform. So, to protect yourself (no matter your interests or pursuits), be sure to only purchase Android apps from reputable places. It’s the difference between an upscale mall full of designer stores and the seedy flea market down the road. You may be saving a buck—but you may be sacrificing more than quality. And you really don't know where that junk has been.
And be sure to read the reviews—they can be your first clue as to whether this app is the real deal, or a gateway to malware.
Read more here: http://www.darkreading.com/security/news/231300186/likelihood-of-android-infection-has-more-than-doubled-in-six-months.html