Found new Malware for Android devices that could seriously endanger smartphones and tablets. How to protect yourself from new cyber threats
Viruses and malicious applications are a significant concern for Android smartphone owners. Although Google has adopted increasingly impressive security measures to combat the spread of malware, on the other hand, hackers always find “creative solutions” to evade Big G’s systems. This time, however, the situation could be more severe than expected, and digital criminals are said to be using APKs ( Android Package Kits ), data packages for installing applications on Android, to bypass security measures, exposing smartphones to severe dangers.
The New Cyber Threats On Android
According to what was shared by Zimperium, an anonymous user member of the App Defence Alliance (which deals with identifying and removing harmful content from the Google Play Store ), hackers have found a system to ensure that Android devices do not recognize malware. Sophisticated compression algorithms appropriately manipulated, it is possible to enclose malware within APK files to be used to install applications on Big G’s operating system. This allows them to be recognized as standard installation files, thus circumventing all security measures.
According to Zimperium, Google has found more than 3,000 different applications that use the APK compression technique. Many of these work perfectly on Android 9 and above, potentially leading to mass deployment in a reasonably short time.
Fortunately, at the moment, there is no evidence that this malware is already present in the Google Play Store; this means that the applications have been distributed through “alternative channels,” such as third-party digital stores that allow you to install many applications that you cannot found on official digital stores and which are not subjected to all the security checks used by Google in its Play Store.
How To Protect Yourself From Malicious Applications
Of course, protecting yourself from this malware is a relatively simple matter, and users should avoid downloading applications from unofficial sources in the first place. Naturally, when discussing solutions of this type, we are not referring to the digital stores of the best-known brands, such as the Samsung App Store or the Amazon App Store. Still, we are talking about all those more or less legal alternatives that technology enthusiasts know Well.
In addition to this, there aren’t many other indications to follow, and until these applications manage to penetrate the Google Play Store, users will just have to pay a little attention and move around the web (and among the applications to download) with a little common sense.
Alternatively, many suggest installing an antivirus on your smartphone. Generally, it is a solution that doesn’t make much sense if you follow the rules. However, it is an additional security system. For those who download applications from third-party stores, it could represent a suitable defense mechanism, even if it does not ensure complete protection.
