Google Play is more Secure than other google stores according to Trend Micro

I just read an article which is number driven, and I covered one of these articles before. This one, from Trend Micro, is entitled Defend Yourself Now and in the Future Against Mobile Malware and its a great article to read. The topic of adware is really driven hone in this article, saying that a lot of apps in the android ecosystem are driven with this type of app.

One of the problems that Android and even IOS may have is that its hard to tell the difference between a fake application and a real one. Staying with the play store and IOS store and not jailbreaking your phone is the best solution, according to the article.

As 2020 is under way, here is what Trend Micro is thinking will be more of a problem.

• More intrusive adware.
• Cryptocurrency mining malware. This will run in the background, eating up your device battery and computing power. Trend Micro noted a 450% increase
in infections from 2017 to 2018.
• Banking Trojans designed to harvest your log-ins so hackers can get their hands on your savings. Our detections of this malware soared 98% between 2017-18.
• These attacks have evolved from simple screen lockers to malware designed to encrypt all the files on your device.
• Premium rate services. Some malware will covertly text or call premium rate SMS numbers under the control of the hacker, thus making them money and costing
you potentially significant sums.
ExpensiveWall malware, for example, was found in 50 Google Play apps and downloaded millions of times, charging victims’ accounts for fake services.
• Information theft. Some malware will allow hackers to eavesdrop on your conversations, and/or hoover up your personal data, including phone number, email
address, and account log-ins. This data can then be sold on the dark web and used in follow-on identity fraud attempts.

Its a good idea to read the section on how you can protect yourself, which includes staying on the official application stores.

Trend Micro blocked over 86 million mobile threats in 2018 and it is looking to grow quite exponentially. This is going to be the norm as people are moving mobile only.

There are a lot more linked things in this article besides what I’ve linked, and I think this is something we should be aware of. Have thoughts? Leave those comments!