Consumentenbond investigates dangerous Android apps: this is how you protect
The Consumers’ Association shared an investigation today that shows that Android smartphones have insufficient built-in protection against dangerous apps. Why the damage is not that bad, and what you can do to stay protected you can read here.
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What does the Consumers’ Association say about dangerous Android apps?
This morning the Consumers’ Union sowed considerable panic with the conclusion of a new research report. Play Protect Google’s built-in antivirus app, would detect and hold only 56 percent of all dangerous apps. According to the union, users must download another paid antivirus app to get adequate protection.
There are, however, quite a few hooks and eyes to the Consumentenbond’s investigation. For example, it does not mention how many of the dangerous apps are actually in the Play Store, the place where the vast majority of all Android users get apps. Exactly which apps are involved, and in which period there is testing, is also unclear.
How many dangerous apps are there in the Play Store?
Inquestion of Android Planet shows that the average Android user is a lot less risk than the Consumers Association suggests. The company admits that many of the dangerous apps that have been tested are not in the Play Store, and most users never come into contact with it.
Consumentenbond: “[In de Play Store] we could never find 2000 dangerous apps so quickly”
“The biggest part is not in the Play Store,” says a spokesperson for the Consumers Union. “[Ze] could have been there, because they are very similar to bad apps that are sometimes found in the Play Store, such as SMS malware, but also ransomware, banking trojans, et cetera. If we had only searched in the Play Store, we would never have been able to find and test 2000 so quickly. ”
Is my Android smartphone unsafe?
Although the spokesperson rightly points out that sometimes dangerous apps appear in the Play Store, they are usually also quickly removed by Google. The spokesperson could not tell us how many of the malicious apps have ever been in the Play Store. Because most users only get their apps from the Play Store, where almost all popular apps can be found, the danger remains limited in practice.
The dangerous apps that are not detected by the built-in virus protection of Play Protect, are in many cases not to be found in the Play Store at all. And since Google does not allow most dangerous apps in the Play Store at all, you never actually come into contact with them. The association itself admits that: finding 2000 dangerous apps in the Play Store was difficult and time-consuming.
How do I protect my Android smartphone
Prevention, however, is better than cure, and so it is absolutely wise to be vigilant. For example, check our tips for avoiding and removing dangerous Android apps . Check out our ESET review the antivirus app recommended by the Consumers’ Association. Sites like Do not Let Hack Make provide a thorough explanation of how to adequately protect yourself online.
Android remains an insecure operating system than iOS, due to the high degree of openness that Google offers. The freedom to download Android installation files yourself is nice, but also involves considerable risks. If you limit yourself to the Play Store, then the chances are much smaller that you are in danger. The average Android user is much better protected than the Consumer Association suggests.
