Android security has become a hot topic lately with increasing amounts of malware reports in the last half of 2011. While people take the security of their home computers seriously installing antivirus software, most people leave their smartphones completely unprotected.
You might not think Android security is that important, but just stop to think for a minute what kind of information about your personal life your smartphone holds. Not only does it have all of your contacts, emails (where passwords for other sites can be found) and social networks, but it also offers hackers direct access to your bank account by subscribing you to premium rate SMS subscriptions without your knowledge.
Why Android Security Is An Issue
McAfee found that 63% of attacks targeted Android during Q2 2011
Over the last couple of years there has been a steady rise in the amount of malware floating around for Android and the number of infected devices is increasing day by day. According to McAfee in the last 6 months Android has been the target for nearly 2 thirds of all mobile malware attacks.
Direct Access To Your Bank Account
One of the biggest motivators for Android malware creators is the instant access they have to your bank account. Typically malware will sign you up to multiple premium rate SMS subscription services, or call premium rate numbers in the background which provide direct income streams for hackers.
When you consider the fact that a computer based virus still needs someone to enter their credit card details in order to steal money, this isn’t necessary with smartphones. That’s a pretty big motivator for anyone creating malware and is a huge reason why Android security is a hot issue.
The GGTracker virus stole over 1 million dollars from users in 2011 alone.
Personal Data Ahoy!
I briefly touched on that amount of personal data your smartphone holds before, but wanted to discuss it in more detail. Think about the potential personal data your smartphone can hold such as-
E-mail Access
It’s likely in your email account, you have a bunch of logins for various websites you have signed up to. If you’re the type of person that uses the same or similar passwords for every website, this leaves you pretty exposed. Your Facebook password is different from your PayPal password right? Also with access to your emails people can just use the lost password function on websites to gain full access to whatever they like.
Pictures & Videos
With HD video recording and high megapixel cameras on smartphones, we are using them more and more to capture those precious memories or bang tidy pictures of your other half.
Browsing History & Logins
You might also use your smartphone to browse the web. Although it’s convenient to save the login details for a website, it does leave them accessible for others.
Your Location
Pretty much every smartphone has a GPS sensor now and while you probably only use it for navigation, malicious software might have a different use in mind. Hackers could track your location in real time, or access cached files on the device to see where you have been in the past.
Contact Information
Names, phone numbers, addresses, social network ID’s, email addresses and birthdays to name a few.
Social Networks
It’s more than likely you have the Facebook for Android app installed right? A direct link into your personal life in just a click away.
There is literally a treasure trove of information for hackers to exploit as they see fit. It is becoming more and more important to take Android security seriously.
Recent Android Security Threats
There has been a huge wave of Android specific attacks over the last year. Here’s an example of just 2 of them and what they did-
GGTracker
Whoever created this piece of malware is certainly laughing all the way to the bank, successfully stealing over 1 million dollars from infected users. GGTracker would disguise itself as a useful App, however behind the scenes it’s secretly racking up your phone bill. Signing you up to SMS subscriptions and calling premium rate numbers without your knowledge.
Geinimi
Although the Geinimi malware hasn’t actually stolen anyone’s money, it has the potential to do significantly more damage on a global scale. Once it finds its way onto your device, your phone becomes part of a huge botnet of devices that are under the hackers control remotely. The hacker can not only send commands to the phone remotely but can also take copy’s of all of your personal data in a snap and you would never know.
How To Protect Yourself
Luckily for us as malware attacks have increased so have the amount of techniques available to protect yourself from attack. Here are my tops tips to secure your Android device-
Password Protect Your Phone
This might be an obvious one but many people don’t bother with it. If you lost your phone or had it stolen and it didn’t have a password lock on it, then a potentially malicious user will have instant access to everything. It only takes a second to setup, just go into Settings > Security > Setup Screen Lock and follow the onscreen instructions.
Only Use The Official Android Market
One of the easiest ways for your handset to get infected is by installing a rogue app. It’s a good idea to stick to the official Google Android Marketplace when searching for new applications. Although there have been a handful of malicious applications found in the official market, Google are making continued efforts to reduce this.
Install An Android Security App
If you have a PC, then it’s likely you have installed some kind of antivirus software or malware checker? it is important that you protect your smartphone in the same way. There a number of android security and antivirus applications available which I will discuss in more detail below-
The Best Android Security Apps
There are quite a few to choose from, personally I use the Kaspersky Mobile Security suite as I have been a long time Kaspersky user for my home and business computers protection. Let’s take a closer look at some of the best Android security apps that are available-
Kaspersky Mobile Security
As I mentioned, I have been a long term user of Kaspersky’s products and the Kaspersky Mobile Security suite offers a broad range of protection for your Android device, features include-
- Malware Protection – Provides real time scanning for malicious activity with regular updates for protection from new threats
- Privacy Protection – Keeps your contacts, text messages and call logs hidden
- Locate Your Phone – If your phone is lost or stolen, you can instantly find its location remotely
- Secure Your Files – Encrypts all of your data including photos and videos
- Remote Wipe – If you can’t recover your lost or stolen phone, you can remove all of the data remotely
- Parental Control – Restrict your child’s calls and SMS ability’s, make sure they are in a safe place with GPS
Kaspersky Mobile Android Security offers a comprehensive range of protection from loss, theft and malicious software.
Learn More About Kaspersky Mobile
Bullguard Mobile Security
One of the other best Android security apps is Bullguard Mobile Android Security. It has a great range of features, and a few things that Kaspersky doesn’t which might be appealing to some users-
- Virus & Malware Protection – Protects against a range of attacks including those delivered via text message, email and Bluetooth
- Anti Theft – If you lose your phone or it gets stolen you can find its location and wipe any date remotely
- Parental Control – Use the Bullguard web interface to monitor your child’s phone including location, text messages and photos
- Backup – Bullguard will also make regular backups of important data like your contacts
- Support – They have 24/7 support via live chat or e-mail
Learn More About Bullguard Mobile
To be honest you can’t really go wrong with Bullguard, as I said the only reason I picked Kaspersky is because I have used them for my computers for many years. They are both very good Android antivirus applications.
Signing Off
Hopefully you are now fully aware of the threats of Android security and how to protect yourself sufficiently. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions, I’m more than happy to answer them!