How to tell if your smart phone has malicious programs installed
1. You notice that you pay more than usual for your mobile phone bill
This is a sign that some trojan might send SMSs or make phone calls to super expensive phone numbers, sometimes even oversees. The problem with these calls is that it is very hard to prove that you didn’t manually and intentionally made them. Most of the time the mobile phone operator will ask you to pay first and then explain later.
2. Data usage increase
Malware usually sends back your private data to the cybercriminals that created it. If you notice an increase in the data usage or if your provider is slowing down your data transfer because you consumed too much in a month, it might be a sign that malicious software communicates without your knowledge.
3. Calls are interrupted often and SMSs don’t reach their destination
Even if you see that you have maximum reception sometimes the most basic functions of the phone don’t work reliably. Sometimes malware tries to intercept the calls and even re-route them to more expensive numbers or through proxies.
4. Battery consumption grows unexpectedly
If without using your phone more than usual you notice that the battery drains, there might be some program that is residing in the active memory. Such programs can be trojans that try to intercept the calls and SMSs you make.
5. Bad overall performance of the smartphone
If your smartphone becomes slower than usual and apps take much longer to start and function, something might be using the CPU and the memory of the phone. Review the last apps you installed and try to uninstall them to check whether one of them is consuming the resources. However, note that this might not solve your problem if you installed a malicious app. Most of the malicious apps install backdoors in your device and will download additional payload without you noticing.
6. Apps crash unexpectedly
If apps that usually worked without problems and didn’t get updated lately, suddenly start to crash, might be a sign that something is interfering with their functionality. It could also be that your smartphone doesn’t have anymore resources to run the app because something else is using it (see 5).
credit goes to http://techblog.avira.com/2013/04/29/is-your-smartphone-infected/en/
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About The Author
herg62123
I have been a Windows Rom Developer (ROMs made include Special K and Doug E Fresh Rom). I have port apps for Windows Phone like Opera Mobile, and HTC Sense for Windows Phone. I no longer do that stuff. I now focus on analyzing malware and I own my own business fixing computers as well as installing secured networks. In my spare time I have my own mini network at my house to see the impact as well as analyzing the damaging power the malware causes by using malware samples given to me. Thanks to MobilityDigest.com, I have been given a great pleasure to write about malware and the impact on mobile devices.
ooooh android….
I am waiting for Simmons comment on this now……lmao
he’ll just tell you this is not real, none of this is real.
I once had a push-ad spyware app on the s3, it made ads pop up as notifications. It was hidden in a hotmail app.
Since then, no problems
My kids have the nexus 7 tablet and it is an on going battle trying to teach them about apps that look cool and apps that look cool but contains a Trojan in them.
I have 2 anti-software running, AVG and Lookout. I used to have 3.
None of them have ever given me a legitimate warning.
I do not sideload apps, except 1, “Notification Reminder” because it was no longer available at G-Play store. IDK why? Never got an answer.
I tried an app checker that looked at all the app permissions. I was not happy with the results and uninstalled the app. I probably should have looked at it harder. It seemed to have a problem with apps I trusted.
Overall my Android security issues have been non existent compared to my Windows PC and Laptops.
Peace
TO: JRDemaskus
I am a malware researcher and believe it or not there is more malware for Android than there is for Windows PC.
It took 14 years for Windows to collect so much in malware but it only took 3 years for Android to pass Windows in number of malware.