Protecting your mobile phone from viruses

I don’t mean to freak anyone out but you really need to think about the apps you are downloading to your phone. If you do not have internet access you probably do not need to be concerned as much.

You may be under the mistaken impression that your cell phone is  safe from viruses. I would venture to say that your mobile device is even more vulnerable than your pc. As more and more people use their phone to communicate, shop online and even do their banking,  there is probably more data about you than is stored on your PC.  It is scary when you think about it.. You have  heard me mention many times before that your cell phone can be used as  a spy device by unscrupulous individuals. It is not difficult actually to plant something on someone’s phone.  Trojan horses used to be delivered via software downloaded to your computer.. it’s actually still the case.  Anti virus companies have done a pretty good job at keeping peoples’ computers safe. Trojans aren’t the only thing users need to worry about.. they also need to be concerned of browser exploits and other dangers.  I’m certain You keep your windows machine updated with the latest virus definitions, right?

I’ve been thinking a lot about how vulnerable we especially are in this day and age. In days past hackers were limited to what You entered into your computer; read your emails and steal your banking information. Now they can do that and so much more.  Tracking  your location, listening and recording your phone calls, spy on your Facebook accounts, monitor the room wherever your phone is located… it truly is a mobile spy device that anyone with about any level of sophistication can deploy.   Just be sure not to get on the bad side of some incredulous individual who knows what they are doing… and doesn’t care to do it.  If so, better invest in a back up phone and keep it clean and with you at all times.

So you may be asking how do I get these viruses on my cellphone? Basically the same way you get them on your personal computer. If you download apps from the android marketplace or even Facebook apps, you are vulnerable. Doesn’t really matter what kind of phone You have… if it can connect to the internet then you could have a problem.. the funny thing is, you could have someone watching every move You make unbeknownst to You.  Who is really behind that app You downloaded on the android Marketplace or Facebook?   Worse yet did You pay for an app only to have someone spy on you.. mobile phones combined with the internet make the stasi look like child’s play… protect yourself out there and remember you are creating a written (or worse yet) an audio/video record of everything you do on the phone. Just think of all the “stuff” You store on your your little communicator .. then think of the abilities your phone has… GPS and connection to the internet. Be careful out there and for God’s sake don’t text and drive.