A few weeks back Jupiter networks released an interesting press release that stated that there was a 400% increase in Android malware. Yes a 400% increase. This isn’t a complete shocker since Android is one of the hottest operating systems for smart phones. With news like this its time users understand that your smart phone is just as susceptible to viruses as your home computer. How can that be you may ask, why isn’t it just a phone. Yes it is a phone but if it can surf the internet and download apps then it can become infected. Best thing that you can do to protect your smart phone is to install an anti-virus just like you would on your home computer. You do have an anti-virus on your home computer right? Companies like Lookout and AVG and Symantec all have a mobile anti-virus that are available. Also make sure that your phone is password protected and that you have your settings set to not allow third-party apps to be installed. Only download from the Android app store but be careful what you download. Google just pulled 50 apps recently from the store because they had hidden malware. Make sure you look at what the app is and what settings it will need. Example if its a background image it shouldn’t need to have access to your phone calls or your GPS location. Bottom line is use common sense. Your smart phone is a computer and it needs to be protected like one.
