Trojans

 How Trojans Get into Your Phone and Are They Really Dangerous

Trojans have been around for a long time and they are not exclusive to Android. However, we are receiving more and more messages related to this particular platform. It looks like they are really becoming a big problem for users of devices running Google's operating system. There are more and more reports about them; the statistics that have appeared in recent months have given terrible numbers. For example, banking Trojans infected about a dozen Android applications and managed to penetrate more than 300,000 users. If you think about it, then this is a very serious amount and something needs to be done about it. However, experts do not sit idle, but they are also not omnipotent.

Are Trojans Dangerous?

Trojans are gradually becoming a serious threat not only to phones but to the entire Android ecosystem as a whole.

What's troubling when it comes to the chilling reports we've seen this year is that these apps have managed to find their way onto Google Play. Google's own app store needs to be extremely secure, and usually, it is, and even it has its own dangers. What can we say about third-party stores, and just installing applications from APK files?

Banking Trojans are very smart, but we hope that Google will find a way to prevent them from appearing in the branded app store in the future, at least to some extent. Trojans use downloaders to break through security fences. Downloaders are tiny malware that is really well hidden inside apps. They usually go unnoticed by Google's defenses. The Apple App Store is also not immune from such problems, but due to the general closed nature of the system, it is much safer to use Apple smartphones and tablets.

How many phones are infected with Trojans

Thus, in some situations, it is possible to bypass Google's protection, as demonstrated by these banking Trojans. And the 300,000 users who have encountered this are a very serious factor for concern.

What's important in a smartphone

The pleasure of using a smartphone is, of course, installing apps, as each one essentially gives you another new feature. You can proceed with caution or install only known applications from large corporations, but you should not limit yourself to these precautions.

You can feel safe installing the most incomprehensible application on Google Play if it seems interesting enough to you. There are many great apps out there that you've never heard of, and they offer functionality like no other.

Why there are no antiviruses on iOS, but there are on Android.

Is it possible to fully protect the phone

It would be ideal if Google could protect us one hundred percent, but we know that this is not possible. So we can only hope that the company will continue to do everything in its power. When such applications manage to reach hundreds of thousands of devices before they are detected and removed, it becomes a problem.

It is worth noting that malicious software usually hides in applications that are usually needed for image editing, PDF scanners, QR code scanners, and the like. All these applications can be combined into one simple group. The group that people rarely need, and which they turn to only from time to time, without thinking about choosing a reliable option, focusing only on getting the desired application as quickly as possible.

Most of these Trojans are not originally working Trojans, but after a few updates, they become malicious. Whoever puts them in applications, roll out updates to merge pieces of malware.

Hopefully, Android Trojans will bother us less and less in the future. We know Google is doing everything it can to prevent this from happening, but you also have to do your part. You need to check apps a little more carefully before installing, and most importantly, be very careful about what permissions you grant to apps. A simple wallpaper app shouldn't require full control over your phone - that makes sense.

Why does my phone ask for a lot of permissions

If unnecessary permissions are required, then something is wrong. The problem is that most people just grant all the rights that are required without a second thought. The general policy of apps and Android itself is largely to blame. Permissions on this operating system are common and often without some nonsense, the application will not work completely. For comparison, in iOS, if you do not give some non-core permission, then some functions will simply not work in the application. Android has only started to change its approach to a similar one relatively recently.

To summarize, if you don't want to become a trojan carrier, keep an eye on applications and pay attention to the permissions they ask for. If you have any suspicions, it is better to bypass such software. This will keep the phone clean, and it will work faster due to less load, and you will be safe.