lifehacker lifehacker LifeHacker LifeHacker Is the Google Play Store Safe?5 measures to prevent downloading dangerous apps

The Google Play Store offers a large number of apps and games to make your device useful and fun.

Generally, what's in the Google Play store is considered safe. But can I trust all the apps and games out there? Is the Google Play Store absolutely secure?

Here are some of the malicious apps found in the Google Play Store that will answer those questions.

Also, to keep your device safe, we will give you some tips to prevent you from accidentally downloading dangerous apps.

Google Play Store is not completely protected

The Google Play Store application approval process is improving year by year, but you'll still find many apps like:

Every year, security companies find malicious applications in the Google Play store and report them to Google.

Indeed, Google Play Protect helps protect you from malware.

However, it does not completely solve the problem.

For example, in 2021 Check Point discovered nine dangerous apps. These apps allowed malware to access users' financial accounts and control their mobile phones.

Google has removed malicious apps, but many apps bypass the Google Play Store security checks. This is a fact that cannot be overlooked.

Of course, with nearly 5 million apps, it's hard to guarantee that all apps meet safety standards.

However, not all users are aware of that fact. So it's important to know that there are cases where you can't trust an app on the Google Play store. If you don't want to inadvertently install malware, be vigilant.

How to fix bugs in Android apps and their causes

Types of malicious apps and their behavior

Various types of malware are spreading through apps on the Google Play store.

Google Play Protect detects common types of malware, but attackers have devised a variety of workarounds.

Malicious apps can harm users in a variety of ways.

for example:

This means that there are apps that try to spy, ransomware attacks, phishing scams, and other types of malware.

When infected with malware, the following things can happen:

How to identify malicious apps on your Android smartphone

It's not easy to know if an installed app is malicious, but there are some points to find out.

If you see any of the following phenomena, you may want to suspect a malware infection.

If you notice this phenomenon, scrutinize the apps you have installed in the past.

The most important thing is to find out if there are any apps you don't remember installing.

If it's a popular app, it may be pre-installed, but just in case, uninstall the apps you don't need.

Also, check the permissions granted to the installed apps.

Points to be aware of when improving Google's security settings

[Five countermeasures] To prevent malware infection from the Google Play store

There are some steps you can take to download only secure apps in the Google Play store. Among them, the ones that are especially recommended are introduced below.

Make sure your Android OS is always up to date.

If your Android device is more than a couple of years old and you can't get updates, we recommend buying a new smartphone that will give you longer security updates.

Samsung offers a four-year security update, which makes it a good choice.

I think that there are many people who read the explanation of the application and install it immediately.

If it's a very popular app, you may not need to look too much. On the other hand, if you're installing an app you're not familiar with, you should do some basic research.

Read recent reviews on the Google Play Store or search for an app on a search engine to find out more about that app.

Just because it has a high reputation does not mean that it is safe. Similarly, just because an app has a bad rating doesn't mean it's malicious. In some cases, you have to make your own judgment.

There are also third-party alternative stores where you can download APK files and install applications.

But most of them are not safe. Fortunately, we also have a trusted APK site, so if you need to sideload your application (get it and install it without going through a legitimate store) , use that.

No matter how useful your app may be, make sure it's an official app before you install it.

If you install a fake app, your personal information may be stolen.

If you think your app is requesting permissions you don't need, revoke the permissions. If you're still asking for permissions, consider uninstalling.

However, some apps may require permissions to use certain features, so please contact the app developer or search the internet.

However, some useful and good apps require unnecessary permissions. In such a case, you may not know what to do.

However, for safety reasons, it's a good idea to look for an alternative app if your app is sloppy and demanding permissions.

Don't touch suspicious apps on the Google Play store

The best way to be safe from all types of malware is to stop and think before taking any action, such as installing an app or entering personal information.

There are many options in the Google Play store, and you may know which one to choose. In any case, Google does not guarantee the safety of your app 100%, so be careful not to download dangerous software.

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Source: Google Play Protect, Check Point

Original Article: Is the Google Play Store Safe? By MakeUseOf