Android Malware Tracker: Here's 1 Way You Can Spot Apps Carrying Malicious Software

Since Android malware is everywhere, several users are finding ways to identify apps to avoid from Google Play Store.

Luckily, there is a simple way to solve this problem.

Android Malware

For those who are not familiar with Android malware, Study.com stated that it is quite identical to the various varieties of malware that people may be familiar with on their desktop or laptop computer.

However, this is only for Android devices, in which malicious software or code is meant to attack a user's device. The said Android malware includes trojans, adware, ransomware, spyware, viruses or phishing apps.

Moreover, it is worth noting that Joker, which is a trojan malware, is one of the biggest malware issues that Android currently faces. Cybercriminals prefer to attach it to seemingly harmless apps in the Google Play Store.

For this reason, these apps will ask for permissions to access way more data of the Android user than they should, but hackers will not use those permissions straight immediately. Instead, cybercriminals will wait for a period of time before downloading the Joker malware to an Android device. This process is known as dropper attack.

Once this Android malware has been installed on the device, it will sign up the user to several premium subscriptions, of which users are not aware of, per Life Hacker. Android device owners will not recognize this subscription at first unless they check their credit card statement.

Apart from premium subscriptions, the installed malware will also send the user's data from the device back to the hackers including the contact information, text messages, as well as other important and sensitive information.

A Simple Way to Spot Android Malware on Apps

Since Android malware is proven to be dangerous, Life Hacker has shared a simple way to spot a potential Joker app or other malware on Google Play Store.

The said way is to simply follow Tatyana Shishkova on Twitter.

Shishkova works for the cybersecurity firm Kaspersky as an Android malware expert. Her Twitter account is primarily dedicated to revealing active Google Play Store apps that are secretly carrying Joker malware.

Shishkova's most recent exposure, as of this writing, is an app named Super-Click VPN which seems rather ordinary for a random third-party software.

In the description box of the app, it states that it aims to protect the privacy of users while surfing the internet using their app. It also claims to be a secure, fast and free VPN that is trusted by hundreds of thousands of customers. Aside from this, the app also says that it allows users to access prohibited websites and apps, bypass firewalls and watch videos safely and anonymously.

The said video includes streaming material, movies, sports programs, and many other shows. Moreover, it also claims to protect Android users when using public WiFi or hotspot.

However, the said app is currently on the Google Play Store as of writing.

In addition to this, every application that Shishkova has mentioned on her Twitter in the past appears to have been removed from the Play Store. This only means that Android users should follow her and keep an eye on her posts to identify dangerous apps.

While the applications' removal is positive news, these can still cause damage on those devices that already have them installed. For this reason, users should browse her feed to see if any of these apps match those she has previously identified.