The prevalent use of mobile devices has
certainly changed the way people live
these days. Mobile phones have become
an extension of data storage for many
where people use their Smartphones and
PDAs for keeping important documents
and files using mobile apps. Even
confidential documents and financial
records may be stored using various
applications for mobile.
Cyber attacks
have become prevalent in order for
criminals to gain access to these
confidential and financial records.
Because of the trend of downloading
mobile apps on mobile devices, cyber
criminals find the opportunity to use mobile apps to infect mobile devices with
malware, spyware and viruses.




Is there adequate protection against
cyber attack?



Because of the threats that are imposed
by the use of unsafe mobile applications,
mobile users should be mindful about
verifying the credibility and safety of the
mobile apps that they are using on their
mobile devices. While the mobile app
sources like the Google Play and the
Apple Store exercise the diligence of
sifting through the reliability and safety
of the mobile developers’ applications
that are made available in their store, the
prudence of ensuring the safety of apps that are made available in their store, the
prudence of ensuring the safety of apps
that are being downloaded on a mobile
device still remains in the hands of the
mobile owner.




Rob Smith of the Mobile Active Defense
noted that mobile apps have become the
most prevalent source of cyber attack.
About 55 apps were removed by Google
from its Android market just a few
months ago after complaints were
received from ten thousands of its
Android market users that were infected
with the DroidDream Trojan. While
Apple is known for its more stringent
regulations on the mobile apps on its
Apple Store, there is no guarantee that all
of their mobile apps are completely safe.


Protecting your mobile device against
malicious mobile apps



Malicious apps have become an effective
tool for cyber criminals to gain access to a
mobile device. By downloading the app,
the malware can take over and jailbreak
the operating system of your mobile
phone and obtains the ability to run in
the background to keep track of your
mobile activities and vital personal
information. In order to protect your
mobile device against malicious mobile
apps, here are some tricks to keep your
device protected.




1. Download mobile apps from reliable
sources ;
This will ensure that you are
downloading safe apps while giving
them access to your mobile device.
Directly downloading apps from the
site of reliable providers will give you
a better peace of mind that your
mobile app comes from reputable
sources.



2. Verify the mobile apps sources ;If
you are installing special mobile apps
like spy software from
netspysoftware, make sure to contact
support and evaluate the company
background of the mobile app
provider. This will ensure that you
understand their privacy rules and
regulations. While spy software is
legal, it cannot be used for prying on
individual mobile user without their
consent. Make sure that you
understand the limitations involved
when using a particular app and
understand up to what extent the app
provider has access to your mobile device and information



3. Paid applications are safer and more
reliable
; Mobile app stores usually
offer both free and paid applications.
While you can enjoy free apps on
your mobile, paid applications are
better and safer because you are
guaranteed that it comes from
professional mobile app developers
who value the reputation of their
business. Paid applications likewise
offer customer support that will help
you troubleshoot the apps in case
something goes wrong when using
them.




4. Use the mobile app permission
feature ;
Mobile apps, before they
can access the information and other
apps running on your device, will
usually request permission from the
mobile owner to access them. Make
sure that you know how to restrict
access to some data on your phone by
the applications such as your address
book and other sensitive information.




5. Protect your mobile with an
antivirus program ;
The program can
instantly block malicious software as
you attempt to download it on your
device or it will provide a prompt
warning about the danger involved
when you download a particular
mobile app. Make sure that you use
reliable antivirus clients because
some malicious apps can bypass the
security features of some antivirus
apps with very poor security features.





Sources ; http://www.dawahnet.com/2013/12/mobile-apps-are-they-sources-for-cyber-hazard.html