There are aproximetly 2,7 millions of apps in the Google Play Store, while in the App Store there’s around 3 millions. The majority of them are innocuous and have passed the most exhaustive security controls of Google and Apple, but when the ammount are that big there’s always some that are potentially dangerous for our system. Let’s go to have a look on how can we download a potentially dangerous app without infecting your phone.
Avoid the APK
first of all is to make sure that your apps are downloaded only from the Play Store or App Store. In Android are specially popular the external free downloading websites, where you can download directly an .apk archive from your favourite apps. Have you never asked why a strange website decides to offer you for free an app that costs 10 euros? The benefit that obtains the website is to infect your phone with a malicious code in the .apk that you voluntarily download and install in your terminal. The risk can be verys erious, specially if your phone have stored the numbers of your credit card or personal passwords.
Avoid the alternate App Stores
The same that happens with the external webs, it is essential that you avoid the alternative App Stores. The reason is exactly the same: they can include modified apps to infect your device and to gather your eprsonal data. Be sure of just download your apps only from official shops. The App Store if you have an Iphone, or the Play Store if you have Android.
Avoid the excesive permissions.
But, besides are a lot more safe, neither the App Store nor the Play Store are free of potentially dangerous apps. An easy way to detect a malicious app is to pay attention to the permission that it asks during the instalation. It is normal that an app needs permissions for its properly functionality, but you need to make sure that the eprmissions that it asks need to eb coherent with the activity that is supposed to do. An app that asks for permissions to access the camera and gallery? Yes, of course. It also needs to access our contact list and to receive calls? Absolutely no. If an app tries to take advantage of your permissions, do not give it the oportunity to do so. Always avoid the instalation of dubituous apps and search for other trusty alternatives.
Check the reviews
Before installing any app, take some time to check the comments of other users. Are they satisfied with the app? Do they complain about the excess of advertisments? If an app have been harmful for them, it may be for you aswell. It is better to prevent and find other with better reviews.
Use a VPN
It is always a good idea to use an Android VPN to protect the entrance and exit of data of your phone. A VPN will keep your conection encrypted in all moments, so the information you receive or send will not be accesible for third parties in the case that your network is being intercepted, even if you connect your phone though an open Wi-fi liek the ones on a restaurant or a train. In security matters, a VPN is one of the main tools which you ahve to count in nowdays.
Use an antivirus
A professional antivirus can help you tod etect virus and any other kind of malicious softwares that can be on your phone. The best defense in your device is always the prevention, but, if you have the bad luck of being infected by accident, a professional antivirus can help you to clean it and keep it protected. Make sure ti download and install a professional antivirus and avoid free options unless they have the backup of a big comnpany behind, like Kaspersky.
Keep your phone updated
So if you use an Iphone or an Android, it is essential that you keep them both updated all the time to prevent fissures in the code that a malicious software can use. It is specially important to have the last version of Play Store, and keep updated the browsers and, of course, the VPN and the antivirus. Having the software updated will only take a few moments and make a difference when protecting your device and the private data that you store on it.