Google Play is fighting an uphill battle against Android adware

Discussion in 'mobile device security' started by Minimalist, Jun 16, 2017.

  1. Minimalist

    Minimalist Registered Member

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    https://arstechnica.com/security/20...ting-an-uphill-battle-against-android-adware/
     
  2. Dragon1952

    Dragon1952 Registered Member

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    Wow i hope i don't get that app on my phone.
     
  3. EASTER

    EASTER Registered Member

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    Yeah that crap is total nonsense.

    I seen it before. Ticked a desktop user like me right off. There absolutely HAS to be a way to filter through those things before getting safe approval.

    They are just going to have to accept the fact there will always be sneaks like that and so form up a solid filtering code or at best attach some google approved code on the stinking things to ensure that they are certified.
     
  4. summerheat

    summerheat Registered Member

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    Lessons:
    1. Abstain from installing apps which don't really need.
    2. Use a good adblocker like Adguard.
    3. Try to stick to apps from F-Droid as much as possible.
    4. Consider to switch to an iPhone.
     
  5. Rasheed187

    Rasheed187 Registered Member

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    I also assumed that all apps on Google Play were likely to be safe, but now I'm not so sure anymore. It's indeed best to stick to only a few trusted apps. It's also prove that restricting devices to only a single download store doesn't mean it will automatically solve all malware problems.
     
  6. EASTER

    EASTER Registered Member

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    Quite agree.

    Which on this end for me, now i have a backlog of apps on a couple of mobiles to sift through one by one just to be sure.

    Mainly because i'm one of those who checks and double checks theirself on matters like this.

    I got off chrome completely after experiencing one of those clicker ads try to lock things up some months ago and had to do a wipe/reset.

    Use Adblock Browser instead which is been a lot quieter.
     
  7. Robin A.

    Robin A. Registered Member

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    The real lesson is that is naive to expect 100% security from the internet. Apps are there to be used, just assume the risks and be prepared to mitigate the problems when they materialize.
     
  8. EASTER

    EASTER Registered Member

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  9. summerheat

    summerheat Registered Member

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    Yes, nevertheless the points I made mitigate the probelm beforehand.
     
  10. Minimalist

    Minimalist Registered Member

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    Yes, users are moving to mobile and are also using various adblocking solutions on desktop browsers, so they moved to mobile apps to show adds. Whatever brings money.
     
  11. summerheat

    summerheat Registered Member

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    I wouldn't. First, that browser was last updated in February 2016. Considering that every browser has been affected by multiple vulnerabilities over time (and Adblock browser is certainly no exception) I wonder if it's still properly maintained.

    Second, why not use Firefox? It's fast and configurable, and you can use it with uBlock Origin and many other add-ons to enhance privacy. (I think it's the only browser for Android which supports add-ons.)

    Alternatively/additionally, you can use Adguard or DNS66 which you can get from F-Droid.
     
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