Experts reveal how you can protect your mobile device from malware

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During the first few months of 2022, mobile malware attacks increased by 500%, with one of the main reasons being because many people arenā€™t protecting their smartphones. 

Experts at CloudTech24 have revealed the best ways you can go about protecting your mobile device from malware effectively. 

  1. Use mobile anti-malware 
  2.  

Your mobile phone needs anti-virus and anti-malware software too! Malware can infect smartphones and tablets easily so itā€™s important to have a reliable anti-malware app installed to your device. 

  1. Donā€™t download apps from unknown sources 

Only download mobile apps from trusted sources. Do not download outside a main app store. Trusted app stores include places like: 

  • Apple App Store 
  • Google Play 
  • The Microsoft Store 
  • Amazon Appstore 

You also should research the app developer online. Make sure they have a good reputation. Once you download a dangerous app to your phone, it can infect it with malware. That malware can remain behind even if you delete the app later. 

  1. Be wary of SMS phishing, AKA ā€œsmishingā€ 

Spam texts are extremely common nowadays, with the text equivalent of phishing being known as ā€œsmishingā€. 

Through malicious links in text messages, hackers may ask you to message back to capture personal information, and/or try to gain access to your device. 

Beware of text messages from unknown sources and be on the lookout for texts that donā€™t make sense. A common text spam is getting a shipping notification when you havenā€™t ordered anything. 

  1. Remove old apps you donā€™t use 

Apps these days are often abandoned by the developer, and there are around 2.6 million apps that havenā€™t received an update in a year or more. Having these old apps on your phone can leave security vulnerabilities which can be exploited by hackers, so itā€™s important to address them. 

Look through your device for any older apps you arenā€™t using, and if thereā€™s no reason to keep them around, they can leave your device at risk.  

Also, look at the time of the last update, and if itā€™s over a year, consider replacing it with an app thatā€™s more current and updated more frequently.

  1. Keep your device updated 

In addition to keeping your apps updated, itā€™s important to keep your device updated too. Not updating to the latest version of your deviceā€™s operating system can also leave your phone with security vulnerabilities, allowing hackers to breach your data. Turn on automatic updates if possible! 


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