Not to worry if your answer is “NO”, you have arrived at the right place where you will be able to understand different mobile device threats and malwares.

This is a truth that we have to take care of our data and you are doing a good job if you are using a GOOD antivirus solution on your laptop/desktop. But securing laptop’s data isn’t a full proof plan. Since data can be easily accessed over different platform like mobile, tablet devices. Therefore you have to step up and secure your portable devices too.

There are many malware, Viruses and Treats specifically designed for portable devices say mobile or a tablet. Here we will learn about most common mobile device threats and their types.

Without a further delay let’s get started and don’t miss the pro tip for using public internet securely advised in this article.

Below are the common mobile device threats and their types..

Rooters request root access to your smartphones or use exploit to obtain root access, thereby gaining total control of the device to spy on you and steal your personal information. Rooters are commonly used to initiate the first stage of the infection process. Once root access is gained, hacker can further compromise your device. They may plant persistent malware, access privileged functions, or secretly spy on you.

Ransomware restricts access to your mobile device or certain files on it, including documents, photos, or videos. In order to remove these access restrictions , a financial ransom is requested (usually in Bitcoin), which often must be paid within a certain time limit. However, there is no guarantee that paying the ransom will release the device, making ransomware one of the most notoriously dangerous types of malware.

Downloaders or droppers use social engineering tactics to trick victim into installing an app that is disguised as legitimate (usually a game or utility), but which actually installs other malicious or unwanted apps onto the device without you noticing. Droppers also typically show full-screen ads, even outside of the app itself . These ads are not just annoying, they are also often linked to malicious website and connect to their servers to upload your device data in background.

Adware often comes in the form of seemingly harmless gaming or entertainment apps. Once on a device, it collects data about you and floods your device with annoying pop-ups and advertisements. Even more threatening is adware that contains “Malvertising Code” or simply malicious code embedded in ads. Which can infect your device with other dangerous forms of malware, root your device and allow the hacker to steal your personal information.

Pro Tip :- Don’t connect your device over publicly available internet (cafe/hotel wifi or railway station’s hotspot). Your activity may be monitored and your personal data may compromised. In case of emergency, connect through VPN which would transmit your data encrypted over public network.

Always disguised as a legitimate app, clickers are malicious programs that constantly run unnoticed in the background, connecting to sites and “clicking” on site elements, including advertisements. This allows cyber criminals to profit from advertising pay-per-click campaigns, while also wasting your device’s resources. 

Some can even subscribe you to various unwanted paid services without your permission by charging them directly to your mobile plan (WAP subscriptions) instead of a credit card. You may notice sudden raise in your postpaid mobile bill.

Fake apps are illegitimate apps posing as real ones in order to drive downloads and expose victims to various types of malware. Some malicious apps may flood your devices with unwanted pop-ups or advertisements, while others could infect your device with ransomware or steal your credit card information, passwords stored in notes, OTPs and other personal details

Banking Trojans infect a device by tricking you into downloading a seemingly legitimate banking app. Once the app is launched, the Trojan display an interface over top of the banking app interface, effectively stealing your banking credentials once they are entered.

Some Banking Trojans have been evolved to target non-banking apps, such as those used for booking travels like flight, cabs, hotels and more.

There are several different types of SMS-stealing apps, which can steal mobile transaction authentication numbers sent by banks, SMS sending apps, which charge your phone bill by sending text messages to premium-rate SMS numbers. You may be completely unaware of this activity until you notice the suspicious charges.

Cryptominers are used to secretly mine for cryptocurrency without your consent. Because cryptomining requires large amount of processing power, hackers will break in and harness the resources of electronic devices in order to mine faster and net more cryptocurrency . This can take a huge toll on your device’s battery life, memory, and CPU power.

Overheating for no apparent reason could be a sign that your device is infected with a cryptominer.

Spyware is primarily used to track you online and steal your personal information, including browsing habits, online account login information, or even banking credentials. Like many types of mobile malware , spyware is usually installed on a device via a malicious app.

It runs behind the scenes, making it difficult to notice.

In today’s time, it is highly recommended to use a good Antivirus solution not only on your laptop but also on your mobile/tablet devices. We are interconnected across platforms, say for example any photo saved on your laptop can be easily accessible over your mobile device. Laptop’s security isn’t enough, we need to have our mobile devices also secured from hackers and unauthorised access.