Just fairly recently, Google took a number of apps off the Play Store because they?turned out to be malware. Of course, a purge like that is never permanent, and a new set of nasty apps have been uncovered, according to a recent report by security firm Trend Micro.
The company discovered a whopping 85 new apps, including some popular utilities and games, that are really adware. These apps were found to serve a number of ads during use, most often in nasty ways like running full-screen or completely hidden. Some even ran ads in the background to squeeze advertising money out of unsuspecting users.
One app in particular, posing as a universal TV remote, had more than five million users by itself, despite also having tons of negative reviews and complaints about its nefarious tactics.
According to the researchers, when they tested each app, they found that most of them either used the same code or had many similarities. They often even had similar names, indicating they were from the same source. When you download one of these apps, it serves up an ad at pretty much every single click, making it unusable but squeezing out ad revenue even as you struggle to use or close the app.
Some of the other apps included other universal and electronics remotes, as well as games like Police Chase Extreme City 3D Game, and Prado Parking City. You can find the full list here. Google has indicated it's since removed the apps from the Play Store.
Some of the apps in question - Trend Micro
Of course, adware can be annoying but it won't necessarily affect you much more beyond slowing your phone down. Other malware on the other hand can be really harmful, doing everything from stealing your data to hijacking your phone. So here's how you keep yourself protected.
Before you click the Install button on a new app, always check it out thoroughly. If it's a utility or work app that would require access to your data, check out if the app or developer has a website you can look at. If it's a game, don't install it if it asks for strange access permissions.
Though comment sections are generally just for people that like to rant, they're very useful for apps. Click on the comments, and hit the "sort by newest" tab. Empty comments with four or five stars are bots, as are likely comments with overly descriptive praises. More importantly though, look for any complaints about the app that aren't just preference-based.
These are never a good idea, and can be dangerous even when you trust the app source. And don't ever EVER install a pirated app.
There's never a good reason for leaving your OS without installing the latest update, no matter how busy you are. Take the time to update, and it might just save your bacon the next time you make a stupid app install decision.