Every day we see on the news about Trojans and other malware infecting mobile phones. Strictly speaking, smartphones don’t have viruses like we know them from the computer world. But there are apps that can cause damage.
Such malware can, for example, impersonate a banking app and steal your banking login credentials, or encrypt user data and demand a ransom for decryption. Others read personal information, send SMS or email spam, click on advertisements in the background, or simply delete data. These various functions often occur in combination.
The lines between malware and legitimate programs that trick users or are simply annoying often blur. A fake app that, for example, masquerades as a paid premium version of a well-known free app doesn’t necessarily contain malware, but it was still developed with fraudulent intent.
How Big Is the Smartphone Malware Problem?
The true extent of the threat posed by malware on mobile phones is a matter of debate among experts. The regularly published statistics on this topic come from companies that develop and sell security software, such as the IT security firm Kaspersky. While they can serve as a guide, they are not truly independent.
According to research on smartphone malware, the risk is different in different places, and it is different at times. Security reports reveal that adware (ads that appear on your device without your permission) is one of the different types of mobile threats. In general, Android devices have a higher malware risk than iPhones, partly because users can install apps from the third party sources. But both types can be impacted by malicious apps and weaknesses in security.
The way a person uses his or her smartphone also affects the possibility of malware infection. For example, the installation of apps from unreliable sources or unofficial versions of popular apps, as well as reckless use of unknown links and failing to install security updates, can all lead to a greater vulnerability. But even in this case there are several measures that users can take to prevent the risk, including effective internet browsing practices and keeping the operating system and installed apps up-to-date.
Malware on Android Phones: Risks and Prevention
The Android system is designed so that programs cannot simply get onto a phone without authorisation. To get malware on your phone, you have to install it yourself. Criminals come up with many tricks to get users to take this step. The most common method involves apps that disguise themselves as something else but actually contain malware.
Malware continues to appear regularly in Google’s Play Store. Kaspersky provides a brief overview for 2023. Therefore, the same applies to the Play Store: you should find out a few key facts about an app before installing it – especially if it promises amazing results.
Criminals often try to lure their victims to other app stores or trick them into downloading and installing the app directly as a file from a website. If you’re venturing outside the Play Store, and especially if you’re installing apps directly as .apk files, you should definitely research them beforehand to find information from a trustworthy source.
In rare cases, security vulnerabilities can create pathways for malware to install itself without your knowledge. Such vulnerabilities are highly valuable, and professional hackers typically exploit them for targeted attacks.
Malware on iPhones: How Secure Is iOS?
Apple’s mobile operating system, iOS, is considered quite secure. Malware is rare. In 2015, researchers discovered the first major malware infection in Apple’s own App Store. Apple removed 256 apps from the store because they were secretly harvesting user data. No comparable case has occurred since.
A popular way to bypass the App Store and install malware on iOS devices is through so-called corporate certificates. Companies can request their own certificates from Apple to, for example, install company-specific apps on their employees’ work phones. Such certificates are relatively easy to obtain, and attackers have misused them.
However, with this method, attackers must trick the target into manually accepting the company certificate. If your iPhone unexpectedly prompts you to install unknown certificates, you should therefore be alert.
Do You Need an Antivirus App on Your Smartphone?
The manufacturers of mobile operating systems, Apple and Google, offer security features that reliably detect malware.
Android vs. iPhone Malware Protection
| Feature | Android | iPhone (iOS) |
| Built-in protection | Google Play Protect | Apple’s built-in security features |
| Official app store | Google Play Store | Apple App Store |
| Installing apps from other sources | Possible, depending on device settings and restrictions | More restricted; options vary by region and installation method |
| Malware risk | Greater exposure to malicious apps, particularly from untrusted sources | Generally lower exposure to traditional malicious apps, but threats still exist |
| Additional antivirus app | May be useful for users who install apps from untrusted sources | Traditional antivirus scanning of other apps is generally restricted |
| Essential security practices | Use trusted app sources, review permissions, and install updates | Install updates, review configuration profiles, and avoid suspicious links |
Apple states that it thoroughly checks apps for malicious functions before allowing them to be included in the App Store. iPhone apps cannot be installed from sources other than the App Store. Apple does not allow third-party apps to scan other apps for malware in its store – the company believes its own measures are sufficient.
Apps undergo a technical review process before being added to the Google Play Store. Additionally, since 2017, Android has included its own scanner, Google Play Protect. This feature is part of the Google Play Store app and checks each app during installation on the smartphone and regularly during subsequent use.
Furthermore, Google allows apps from well-known IT security companies like Avast, Norton, and Kaspersky in its Play Store. These are generally labelled as virus scanners or antivirus apps. These scanners offer features that can be helpful on smartphones in specific situations. For example, they sometimes detect malicious programs like stalkerware, which Google’s own scanner, Play Protect, doesn’t find.
If you install your apps from established sources like the Google Play Store, F-Droid, or Apple’s App Store, and you never leave your smartphone unattended, we don’t think you need an additional antivirus program. However, if you frequently download apps from other sources on Android, such as websites, you might want to install an additional program as a precaution.
Basically, you can do a lot to keep your device secure. You decide what you install, which links you click on, and which devices you connect to your phone.
Professional Smartphone Malware: Pegasus and Other Spyware
Even providers of professional spyware essentially produce nothing more than malware. They sell software that can be used to hack both Android devices and iPhones. Intelligence agencies and police authorities also purchase such programmes.
This software is far more advanced than the ones described above. Professional malware can very well infiltrate your smartphone completely undetected and without your knowledge. There is no guaranteed way to protect yourself against it. However, these programs are not used for fraud; the costs are far too high. Those frequently affected are journalists, activists, or opposition members in authoritarian states.
In 2021, it was revealed that the Pegasus spyware program, developed by the Israeli company NSO Group, had been used to spy on numerous Android devices and iPhones belonging to leading politicians, journalists, and activists. All that was needed was a phone number; the software operated undetected in the background and forwarded all data to the spies.
In May 2019, malware appeared on the mobile phone of a human rights activist, capable of infecting other phones via WhatsApp calls. The NSO Group was also suspected of being the developer.
Most of this software is based on vulnerabilities in operating systems or apps that have not yet been patched. Spyware manufacturers pay a lot of money to learn about these vulnerabilities.
A vulnerability broker, Zerodium, offered up to two million dollars for an iOS vulnerability and up to one million dollars for a WhatsApp vulnerability, as of June 2019.
Anyone who discovers such a security vulnerability has an incentive to sell the information instead of reporting it to the manufacturer so they can fix it. Governments that purchase or develop such products for surveillance purposes also fuel this trade in vulnerability information.
Some of the vulnerabilities and flaws underlying such programs have since been closed. However, other vulnerabilities may exist, and new ones may be discovered.
Also Read: What Are The IP Protection Classes For Smartphones?
