If you are a Russian-speaking Android user you could be in trouble (and if you don’t speak Russian you might be in trouble too). A piece of Android malware has been causing some serious havoc for Russian users around the world. It’s called “Android/Samsapo.A” and it has developed a habit for abusing people’s contacts and infecting the devices of those contacts. Unfortunately, this is not the first time Android has been afflicted by such malware prompting Android users to look for ways to defend themselves from hackers and viruses. Here are a few precautions you can take to better protect yourself.
Step 1: Am I infected?
The first step on the path to recovery is identifying that you have a problem. And remember that you’re not the only one with a problem. According to Alcatel-Lucent’s most recent Q2 malware report roughly 1% of Android users have had some kind of malware problem. While that may seem like a fairly insignificant number but with Android approaching close to 1 billion users in 2014 that means that close to ten million users who have been infected. That’s the entire population of L.A. County in California…
So how do you identify you have a problem? This is where things get a little murky but if you feel like something is wrong then it may be worth exploring. If you’ve noticed performance issues, data being used at an accelerated rate, battery life disappearing before your eyes or weird noises emanating from your phone then you may have an Android malware problem.
Step 2: Run a scan
Before you panic and throw your phone as far from you as you can try and remember all of the good times you’ve had with your phone. Remember that time you climbed that mountain and took a picture at the top? Or when you took 8,000 pictures of your new puppy because it was just too damn cute? Your phone was the one who helped you take those pictures and ever since your last upgrade it’s been by your side. Instead of throwing it, try downloading some malware detection and removal software from Google Play (Lookout, Malewarebytes, AVG Anti-virus, Avast Mobile Security & Antivirus, etc.).
We strongly recommend that you download some form of malware detection software in order to protect your Android phone and please do not download applications off of third party sites. We wish you and your Android the best!
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