Mobile Devices Are Affected by Malware Too

Our mobile devices have become a part of us. We rely on them to look up loved ones’ phone numbers, locate a restaurant, keep track of lists of tasks, and any other personal needs that a person may have.  We worry about viruses and malware on our desktops but few people think of the implications of a virus on a mobile device.  Some malware is coded to review the data on your device and transmit passwords, updates, and other personal information to unauthorized parties.  Some can even be used as remote control applications, allowing hackers to manipulate your device without your knowledge.  Antivirus software has advanced so much that most malware can be cleaned off of a desktop so you don’t need to reimage it.  The same cannot be true of a mobile device.  A virus found on your phone doesn’t have the same antivirus quarantine capabilities and thus your best option is to perform a factory reset.  Every phone allows for this, but the problems occur if you haven’t backed up your data beforehand. 

Some phones and tablets do offer the ability to retain your data even with a factory reset.  Many of these types of devices sync your data with a cloud-based service, which you do have to remember to enable.  Security risks come with saving and syncing your personal information with a cloud-service, though, so beware of the implications to yourself and family members if you data is compromised.  Other mobile devices may include a sync feather with a desktop application, so when you do perform a factory reset, your data can easily be reinstalled on your device upon connection to that desktop.   

How can you protect your mobile devices from data loss and malware?  Never install an application you do not trust.  This is especially important for Android applications, where no true coding governance exists.  Even Apple apps, however, can come with viruses built in that are missed during Apple’s thorough code review.  Just like on your PC, do not open or launch suspicious emails, attachments or applications.  If available, install an anti-virus application that is meant specifically for your mobile device.  Use a trusted vendor, like Symantec, Norton, McAfee, or AVG.  Be smart with your mobile devices – they are miniature computers that are ALWAYS connected to the Internet, and therefore they are especially susceptible to data loss and malware.