Smartphone malware can cause a variety of problems, from low battery life to financial burdens. But just like in humans, digital viruses also cause certain symptoms that can be used to identify them.
The smartphone is a computer and as such, it is also vulnerable. Viruses on mobile phones are no longer uncommon these days – and that can become a major problem in times of online banking and online trading. Because malware can often not be recognized at first glance. The malware embeds itself on smartphones unnoticed and steals sensitive data such as passwords. At the same time, other, hidden, viruses can secretly generate income from premium services and debit it via the telephone bill.
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Smartphone Malware: These are the Symptoms of a Virus
In any case, the user is the victim, but no matter how inconspicuous the malware may be, there are ways to identify it. The security researcher Check Point has called five signs of infection phones that can recognize users with the naked eye.
Degraded performance from a virus
If the performance of your smartphone suddenly drops noticeably, this is the first indicator that malware is on your phone. According to security researchers, the same applies to applications that close automatically and important functions (such as the flashlight) suddenly no longer work.
Runtime reduction
The performance of a lithium-ion battery decreases over time. It’s not a big secret. However, if it happens overnight, it is cause for concern. In this case, you should open the battery life monitoring menu in the settings and check which app is causing the battery life reduction.
Increased data consumption
If you notice a noticeably increased data consumption on your mobile device despite unchanged surfing behaviour, this is another sign of malware. The reason for this could be an exchange of information with third parties. In addition, it is also possible for paid advertising to be called up in the background.
Advertising in the notifications
You can understand the symptoms mentioned so far as indicators. However, malware can also act much more openly. If, for example, you see unwanted advertising on the start screen, it is a clear indication of viruses – specifically so-called mobile adware.
Unknown phone numbers
Another very obvious warning sign is that you have unknown phone numbers on your call log. The same applies to automatically send SMS messages and calls made. These could on the one hand harm your wallet and on the other hand, infect your contacts with the same virus. Keyword: phishing.
Virus on Cell Phone: You can do that
The most obvious step, of course, is to uninstall the malware app. To identify these, you should uninstall all applications that were installed shortly before the symptoms appeared and check them one by one. In the settings, you can also see which applications “use” a lot of battery or data.
In addition, it is always worth installing an antivirus program. This not only prevents the installation of viruses but also removes them afterwards. This always depends on the range of functions of the program. As the last step, you could reset the smartphone. The saved and unsecured data will be lost in this case, but the same applies to the malware.
