Robert Siciliano
Online Security and Safety Evangelist to McAfee Robert is an identity theft expert who is committed to ...
Once you own a smartphone or tablet, you are not likely to give it up. But it is essential that you can understand where the risks are and steer around them as you enjoy your mobile digital life.
With the growth in mobile exploding, it is only natural for cybercriminals to move towards that device as a means for profit since it has such large numbers. And for us as consumers this means learning about these new ways hackers can trick or deceive us.
Part of the education process is understanding where and how all this malicious activity happens. Unlike PCs where infections typically happen through email (attachments or links) or from visiting an infected website, for mobile devices, malicious software (malware) is distributed primarily through infected apps.
In their Mobile Security: McAfee Consumer Trends Report, McAfee analyzed data from McAfee Mobile Security users on Android devices and found:
What does this mean for you?
It means you better be careful with your mobile device and especially what apps you download and use. I don’t know about you, but my smartphone has become an extension of me and without it I’d be lost. And if all the data that was on my phone got into the wrong hands, I shudder to think of what could happen.
That’s why it’s critical that you are careful when using apps. Here’s some tips to stay safe:
Even though 51% of us would rather lose our wallet than our smartphone,2 only 4% use mobile security software.3 It’s time….save yourself the hassle later and make security a priority for your mobile device and yourself.
Tags: Android, android antivirus, Android security, android security app, anti-phishing, anti-theft, anti-virus, antivirus, app protection, BlackBerry, identity theft, internet security, malicious apps, McAfee SiteAdvisor, Mobile, mobile antivirus, mobile app, mobile malware, mobile security, mobile security app, phishing, QR codes, risky app, safe searching, Symbian, tablet security, web protection
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