According to Verizon’s 2020 report, over 43% of companies compromised their mobile security in the recent year. Mobile Apps Security is not just limited to big organizations, but individuals are also equally affected.
In order to keep our devices secure from Malware and other malicious attacks, we must use a sophisticated approach to scan our mobile devices for potential threats. Most iOS and Android devices come with built-in scanners that might not capture all types of threats.
Also, iOS ensures much better security as they do not allow any third-party apps from untrusted sources. Therefore, Android users have to stay vigilant and scan their devices on a regular basis to prevent such threats.
Before we move ahead with scanning and other methods to eliminate any malware threat from our mobile device, let’s first learn to recognize such malware apps.
Signs of Malware Injected Phone
Smartphone devices tend to show small symptoms that may become the reason for a bigger problem. These symptoms are as follows:
- Apps Load Really Slow
If you see a sudden change in app loading speed then this could be a sign of malware on your devices. Mobile Apps tend to load slower when a malware application is constantly using your data without your knowledge. Hence, it’s also important to pay attention to your data usage if your apps suddenly went slow.
- Battery Drains Faster
Malware apps are stealth and they run in background processes without your knowledge. These apps consume your CPU, GPU and RAM, that’s why it drains your battery much faster. Hence, always keep an eye on your battery usage and some smart applications also allow you to track battery usage ratio of various apps.
- Unnecessary Ads and Apps
If unnecessary ads are appearing all over your phone then your device might be affected with Adware. Some malware programs also automatically install unwanted apps on your phone that can do a lot of damage to your device.
How to Scan Apps on Android?
If there are some clear signs of malware on your device then your next step should be to find the actual malware app that is causing all the problems. For Android devices, we use Playstore to download all our applications. So, here’s how to run an application scan:
Step 1: Open PlayStore
Simply open your Google PlayStore app and make sure you are signed in with your Google account.
Step 2: Open PlayStore Menu
To open the PlayStore menu, you can simply head towards the top left corner and click on three dots.
Step 3: Select “Play Protect” Option
From the menu, choose Play Protect and wait until it loads.
Step 4: Scan with Play Protect
Click the “Scan” button and Play Protect will instantly start scanning all the applications for malware.
Step 5: Remove Unwanted Apps
If Play Protect finds some unwanted apps then you can easily remove them using your PlayStore.
Also, you can enable Play Protect to perform regular scans automatically. In this way, all your installed applications will be automatically scanned based on schedule.
If you need advanced security then there are various third-party mobile application scanners such as Avast Anti-Virus or SecIron’s IronSCAN that allows you to perform in-depth detection and analysis against most common types of Malware.
How to Remove Malware from Mobile Device
In order to entirely remove Malware from your device, we first need to reboot our mobile device in safe mode. Safe mode allows us to cut off any third-party apps and processes with complete controls. Here’s how you can remove Malware step-by-step:
- Reboot in Safe Mode
In order to reboot your device in Safe Mode, you can check this detailed guide.
- Uninstall Suspicious Applications
If you have installed less common applications from PlayStore then do some research by searching the App name on Google and check other’s reviews. Also, make sure you remove apps that you no longer use.
The biggest source for malware are third-party apps that you download from various websites using Google search engines. Hackers often bind their malware infected applications with these apps.
- Remove Pop Ups and Redirects
Pop Ups and redirects in chrome are pretty annoying and they also often install unwanted apps on your phone without your knowledge. Hence, disable these redirects and popups in chrome settings.
- Clear your Downloads
If you have downloaded various APK files from Google then consider deleting them before you accidentally install them again on your device.
- Use Anti Malware Apps
Anti Malware apps often scan your mobile apps against a range of threats and viruses. These apps also perform scheduled scans. Hence, it is recommended to keep a trusted scan app in your phone.
- Use Application Hardening
If you want to completely level up your mobile application security then Application Hardening is a go-to solution. Application Hardening allows you to manipulate a well-built application to make it more shielded against dynamic and static apps.
This is the most reliable way to protect yourself from application malware. Seciron offers Application Hardening solutions to ensure topmost protection of mobile devices with their four core hardening technology.
- Review OWASP Top 10 Mobile Risks
If you are seriously concerned about your mobile application security then you can review OWASP Top 10 Mobile Risks to get deep insights about how mobile devices can be compromised and how you can potentially prevent such attacks.
The list focuses on mobile application risks as well as server-side risks. These include insecure authentication, insecure communication, insecure data storage, code tampering and reverse engineering etc. These subjects are a bit complex for a normal user but you can stick to basic scans and some prevention tips to always stay on the secure side.
Bottom Line
Malware is a huge threat to all connected devices. Hackers can potentially get access to your complete device by means of Malware. Hence, it’s important to keep scanning your mobile apps because less common apps often inject malware after they send you a new update.
Some of these updates might include some loophole or malicious script that might be enough to compromise your device. Therefore, always use Play Protect for PlayStore apps and use a trusted scanner for other files on your mobile device.
