Android users and malware together are a duo which is irreplaceable in today's world. These concerns have always been linked to a few apps that are available on Google’s Play store. Those are the apps that are capable of stealing personal data and even recording phone calls. Google has been talking about the need to prevent malware and malicious apps from entering the Play store, however, repeated incidents of new threats arriving by breaching the walls continue to raise questions about its overall work.
The latest details in this regard come from the researchers at ESET. The recent research at ESET revealed that a new malware named VajraSpy that has been spotted in 12 malicious apps. The bigger concern for Google in this is that six of these apps were present for over 2 years.
It appears that the company has removed these six apps but they are still available on other app stores which means people still need to be careful and avoid sideloading them to their Android phones.
Malicious Apps Found On Google Play Store:
- Privee Talk
- Let’s Chat
- Quick Chat
- Chit Chat
- Rafaqat
- MeetMe
Google's past record reveals that it has a habit of acting on the issue once security researchers inform/report about these apps. However, it is supposed to fool-proof its Play Protect mechanism in such a manner that incidents like these don’t happen in the first place.
It is evident now that users themselves will have to put their own effort into avoiding using apps like these that can steal data and record calls. Yes, it does mean that all your details are available to the hacker.
What can one do to avoid these malwares or safeguard themselves from it? The first and foremost thing that you can do is to only install apps from genuine app stores. Avoid sideloading as much as possible unless it is a well-known publisher. The second crucial thing you can do is to keep your device updated to the latest version to secure it from possible threats.