Back in the day, cell phones did very little. You could call, text, or maybe play a game or two. Today, our smartphones are entire computers, powerful enough to do everything from editing complex documents to recording high-quality video. This comes with cybersecurity threats, which is why you might wonder if you need antivirus protection for your phone.
Basically, as our phones have changed, hackers have changed, too. They’re smarter than ever and have more tactics to fool you into downloading, clicking or opening the wrong thing.
Once you do, you’re deep in the malware mess.
Does your phone have enough built-in defenses to protect you, or do you need the help of an antivirus suite? Keep reading to find out.
Signs your device is infected
Just like your computer or tablet, your smartphone can get a virus. The signs vary depending on what your device is infected with, but in general, here are the red flags to watch for:
- You see a spike in data usage.
- Pop-ups appear out of nowhere, in one app or across all your apps.
- Your battery is draining faster than normal.
- Your phone becomes hot or overheats.
- You notice odd charges on your phone bill that you don’t remember signing up for.
How does malware or another dangerous bit of code get on your phone in the first place? There are a few common ways.
- You click on a malicious link. These come via phishing emails, texts, messaging apps or spoofed websites. Always double-check the links you’re clicking and close anything that looks suspect as soon as possible.
- You download a bad app. Hackers are clever and good at creating malicious apps that look like the real thing. While these can end up in the Google Play Store or Apple’s App Store, they are most often distributed through third-party app sites.
- You download a scammy app that contains malicious ad code. These adware apps are a common cause of unexplained pop-ups.
So, do you need antivirus software?
To us, the answer is clear: Yes! While your phone does have some safeguards to protect you, the more help you can get, the better. Today, most major antivirus and antimalware options include phone protection, too, so there’s no reason not to take advantage.
Don’t know if you should install an antivirus on your phone or Android tablet? Here are 10 reasons that will clear any doubt you had.
1. The Android Operating System Is Becoming More Popular
These mobile devices are in the crosshairs of cybercriminals for one reason: they are very popular.
3. The Growth Of Viruses And Threats To Android Devices
The Android operating system is currently the largest source of new viruses. In less than 12 months
over 900,000 threats have appeared, and millions of devices have been infected.
4. The Applications That We’ve Downloaded Are Virus Central
Downloading an application, either from unknown or official stores, can put you at risk of malware or viruses. With a virus, the malicious file will be detected and disinfected immediately.
5. Optimize Battery Life
Battery life is one of the workhorses that we all share. An antivirus will allow you to verify, in real time, the consumption your applications are using on your device. It informs you of both the space it’s occupying, and lets you stop the application process to optimize both the battery and performance of your device.
6. Protect What Your Apps Say About You
You also need to control what apps can do with your data, and the permission level. Analyze the access rights of your installed applications (contacts, bank account, photos, etc.)
7. If You Lose Your Device, Locate It Easily
8. Remote Lock. Block Access To Your Information
If your device falls into someone else’s hands, you can block your information remotely. Thus you prevent strangers from using or accessing personal information, even if they have changed the SIM card.
9. Eliminate Your More Personal Information
Everyone stores personal information on their mobile devices, and because of that it’s important to be able to eliminate information in the case that you lose your device or it’s stolen. Did you know that an antivirus can prevent access to confidential information on your device or SD memory card? 10. Panda Mobile Security, Android Antivirus
With Panda Mobile Security you can do all of this and much more. You can now download
Panda Mobile Security 1.1.0 on Google Play, our antivirus for Android.
2. We Store Very Important Information That Hackers Want
While we’re on our smartphones we complete bank transfers, store photos, look for directions, etc. All this information is very personal and valuable for hackers with malicious intent.
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