Hi all, can you please tell me if I need to install antivirus on my smartphone? I have not thought about it before, is there a danger of getting access to information through social networks?
I would be grateful for advice!
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Any device with an operating system and internet access can potentially be compromised.
The most important thing is the current operating system and all its security updates!
Then do not install any unknown applications.
Don’t go into weird online places.
The rules are the same as for any pc.
On android I use Malwarebytes sometimes.
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Welcome to the community @KateGPO! Enjoy your stay.
I don’t use an antivirus on my android phone. I’m gonna echo what Tim said, though.
The best defense is having an up to date system with the latest security updates installed in combination with not visiting sketchy websites and installing questionable apps.
This seems to work well for me so far, even though my phone is 5years old at this point and isn’t getting much in terms of updates since a few years.
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On the Level1 er… links share show, they often say that the Google Play store is bad, that many apps there have (various degrees of) malware.
What then, is the L1 advice for avoiding malware on Android? F-Droid?
I would say it depends on your definition of malware.
The generic advice is still the same: Make sure you only run software from trusted sources. This is just pushing boxes around though because now you have to define a trusted source and trust. Something, something threat model, right?
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The News, you mean. I like “links share show” lol
A nice and safe practice is to look at the ratings and read a few comments in the app’s review section.
If there’s a bunch of 5 star reviews and a bunch of one star reviews, something sketchy is going on. If they’re more distributed, then it’s a hit or miss, if it’s a descending bar pattern like
5---------
4-----
3—
.
.
You’re probably fine.
Thank you for your answers!
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You don’t need it man. It’s allll a scam.
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I don’t think you need. What can be useful is using a public DNS like the one offered by AdGuard that blocks all the ads and malicious stuff. That’s what I use to save myself some “inconveniences” on the internet.
Though most of the security issues with smartphones come more from the apps you install and more rarely from the internet.
What people can get access to through your social media is what you set as visible to the public. Or you might get your account hacked if it’s not protected by a secure password or 2FA. Other than that I don’t think it’s possible to get to your smartphone through your social media.
It got better over time, but users are still a bit ingenous so they fall for the worst scam app that steal their data and put them at risk.
- Don’t download unreputable and weird apps through the Google Play Store
- Don’t download apps from the internet that can’t be verified
- Always check the permissions the app needs
- Use a safe DNS like the one provided by AdGuard in order to block malicious connections before they even happen
Thank you