5 Common Smartphone Viruses and Ways to Stop Them

Look around and you’ll see people using their smartphones. In this digital age, smartphones are fundamentally important to us. From communication to socialization, and entertainment to work, we use smartphones wherever we can.

However, have you ever thought about the data we store on it? Like the social security numbers, bank accounts, passwords, personal photos and videos, etc.? If not, then you need to understand that smartphones, which we hold so dear, are always at risk of being targeted by cybercriminals.

Bad actors can remotely launch a virus to affect and steal the data stored on our smartphones. And for that reason alone, we should be aware of these cyber-attacks and take as many preventive measures as possible.

Below, I’ll start by explaining some most common viruses that can affect our smartphones. Then, I’ll move on to effective security measures to mitigate those threats. So, let’s start.

5 Common Smartphone Viruses

Bad actors can use several types of viruses to affect our smartphones. But here, I’ll discuss the most common types of smartphone viruses that you should know of.

Malware

It is an umbrella term for several viruses like trojans, spyware, ransomware, etc. Malware can hack our smartphones or steal data, and allow bad actors to remotely access our devices. Once the cybercriminals have access to our data, they can sell it to third-party advertisers, or for other malicious purposes.

Trojan

A Trojan is one of the most dangerous smartphone viruses, as it can hide inside any application on your smartphone. And, you may not even realize that a Trojan is residing in your device and stealing your data.

Spyware

It is a type of smartphone virus that typically attacks your browsing history. Once inside your smartphone, Spyware can track your browsing history, i.e., your activity on different websites, and steal and send this information to the perpetrators. Then, bad actors can use the stolen information for any malicious purpose they want.

Ransomware

As the name suggests, bad actors blackmail their victims with the help of Ransomware. The idea is to steal sensitive information like personal photos or videos of people and blackmail them to get a ransom. Also, it is not always guaranteed that the bad actors will stop blackmailing their victims even after receiving the ransom.

Adware

Do you think the ads we see on the web and applications are harmless? Well, bad actors can inject malicious code inside an ad, and the virus infects our smartphone as soon as we click on it. What makes adware more dangerous is the fact that an average internet user may not be able to distinguish between a normal and a malicious ad.

How to Stop Viruses from Harming Our Smartphones

As you may notice, bad actors can use multiple types of viruses to steal our data. However, don’t worry, because the safety measures mentioned below can help secure our smartphones.

Use a Secure Internet Connection

Most times, cybercriminals use the internet as a tool to install a virus on our smartphones. For this reason, it is significantly important that we always connect our smartphones to a secure internet connection.

That being said, you should always refrain from using public WiFi. It’s because most public WiFi hotspots are open networks and unprotected by a password. So, cybercriminals can easily hack them, and install a virus as soon as we connect to them.

For home internet, I highly recommend Spectrum Internet. I’ve been using their services for so long now in my home, and haven’t faced any connectivity issues. 

However, the best part is that Spectrum offers a security suite that can offer a safe browsing experience with a free antivirus, and other top security features. For plan recommendations based on your household, feel free to call Spectrum customer service. 

Use Ad Blockers

Ad blockers are specifically designed to hide or completely block all kinds of ads. As soon as an ad blocker is enabled, it’ll prevent the ads from loading by restricting the website from accessing the ads server.

Since you may not experience any ads, the chances of even accidentally clicking on them would drop. And hence, it will keep your device safe from any kind of virus, especially the adware.

Use an Anti-Virus Tool

As I mentioned above, some viruses quietly steal data and users don’t even know about them. However, to counter such viruses, anti-virus software can be of great help.

Anti-virus tools are designed to detect viruses from our electronic devices. Also, these tools can find and eliminate the already existing viruses on our devices. That said, I recommend you use a premium anti-virus tool as it can offer more effective security measures than a free one.

Use a VPN

A Virtual Private Network (VPN) can offer the best protection to your device against bad actors. It alters your device’s IP address and assigns it a fake one as soon as you connect to it. Plus, it also creates a safe passage for your device’s incoming/outgoing data.

A VPN establishes a connection between your device and its server, and all the data first goes through this encrypted server and then heads to its destination.

In short, a VPN can hide your device’s real identity from bad actors and offers a secure pathway for your data so that no virus can steal it.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Are all public WiFi unsecure?

No, public WiFi protected by a password with enhanced security measures can be safe. However, accessing personal or sensitive information on public WiFi is not recommended.

Can regular software updates boost our smartphone’s security?

Yes, regular software or firmware updates can contain enhanced security patches to help your smartphone against viruses.

Can viruses harm our smartphones by clicking on unverified links?

Yes, unverified links can contain malicious code, and as soon as you click on them, a virus may infect your smartphone.