APPS with millions of downloads have been declared “malicious” by cybersecurity experts.
An official security memo from Kaspersky has revealed some of the worst Android offenders that might be lurking on your phone.
They were all “exposed” by security researchers throughout 2023.
And they have a combined download total of 600million, so there’s a chance one might be installed on your own device.
They all share something in common: they were available to download from the official Android app store.
“Users tend to think it’s safe to install apps from Google Play,” explained Kaspersky’s Alanna Titterington.
“After all, it’s the most official of all official stores for Android, and all apps there are thoroughly vetted by Google moderators, right?
“Bear in mind, however, that Google Play is home to more than three million unique apps, most of which get updated regularly, and to vet all of them thoroughly — that is, really thoroughly — is beyond the resources of even one of the world’s largest corporations.
“Well aware of this, makers of malicious apps have developed a number of techniques to sneak their creations onto Google Play.”
Some of the apps spy on you, flood your phone with ads, or even steal money.
Typically Google will ban apps from its Play Store when they’re found to be malicious.
But these apps might still exist on your smartphone if you’ve already installed them.
So be sure to check malware lists regularly to make sure you haven’t downloaded anything dangerous.
It’s also important to avoid installing malware in the first place.
“Every time you download a new app, carefully check its page in the store to make sure it’s genuine,” Alanna explained.
“Pay particular attention to the name of the developer.
“It’s not unusual for cybercriminals to clone popular apps and place them on Google Play under similar names, icons, and descriptions to lure users.”
She added: “Don’t be guided by the app’s overall rating, since this is easy to inflate. Rave reviews are also no trouble to fake.
“Instead, focus on negative reviews with low ratings — that’s where you can usually find a description of all the problems with the app.”
Here are some of the apps that you should be wary of, according to the Kaspersky report:
You can find the full lists at Kaspersky, which also includes some developer names for apps that might have the same titles as others.
