Get Rid of These Malicious Android Apps Before They Infect Your Phone

Reports of users’ data leaks have surfaced increasingly often in the last few years. Much of these data thefts are done through malicious apps or shady websites. Now, in order to protect users from the menace of phishing and hacking, security firm Trend Micro last week revealed some apps which may download as many as 3,000 malware variants or malicious payloads on an infected device. The security firm said that it came across several malicious optimisers, boosters and utility apps that have the capability to access remote ad configuration servers. Such apps, which are available on Google Play, can be used to perform mobile ad frauds. Google has struck off such apps from its Play Store, but they could still remain installed.

The firm cited the example of Speed Clean, an app which offers the so-called features that can help boost the performance of mobile devices. When they tested the app, it found ads popping up — something it believes is quite unusual and innocuous behaviour for a mobile app. Apart from the pop-up ads, the security firm observed malicious behaviour secretly happening in the infected device. This observation led to the fact that Speed Clean could also run a transparent activity in the background to hide malicious content from the user.

Another report, published by Cofense, revealed that a phishing scam is prompting unaware Android users to download apps containing a malware called Anibus. On this note, here are the apps which you should refrain from installing on your smartphone:

· Shoot Clean – Junk Cleaner, Phone Booster, CPU cooler

· Super Clean Lite – Booster, Clean and CPU cooler

· Super Clean – Phone Booster, Junk Cleaner and CPU cooler

· Quick Games – H5 Game Center

· Rocket Cleaner

· Rocket Cleaner Lite

· H5 game box

· LinkWorldVPN

· Speed Clean – Phone Booster, Junk Cleaner and App manager