Android: How to avoid malware on our devices

Well yesterday I was talking to a systems engineer and she tells me that she attended a meeting about the Computer Security, since employees have to know how to protect their data and that of the company.

Turns out they talked about the phones Android and it turns out that they are not as safe as they appear. According to what she told me, they discovered people who were selling cell phones Android Hacked by themselves and in this way they obtained the data of their buyers and thus they earned a lot of money, since the bank accounts of their victims were known.

I also started researching malware afterwards and it seems that malware on Android is a very real thing And that is growing more and more, since hacking an Android phone is something very easy if the user does not take the necessary measures.

Many would argue that being based on Linux is more secure, but it is only based on the Linux kernel, it is a completely different operating system than GNU / Linux, and therefore handles its own software and its own security updates, among other things, which must be taken into account.

As far as I know there are four ways for malware to affect your Android:

1. That the phone comes hacked "from the factory"
2. That you got a virus
3. That the cooked Rom you installed is hacked
4. That you download some malicious application

Getting a Virus out of your Android

Having malware on Android is more likely than it seems, in fact the reality is that there is a growing amount of malware (viruses, Trojans, rootkits) for Android. However, the risk can be drastically reduced if certain security measures are followed:

• Using a secure browser, for example Firefox is the most secure browser on the market today
• Do not download files whose origin is in doubt. This is the most important measure out there, since there is a lot of malware on the internet hidden in ads, emails, browser extensions, among other things, do not trust anything that seems suspicious
• Have an active firewall. A very important measure, since it monitors and blocks, if necessary, the IP connections with the internet.
• Optionally, they can have an antivirus activated to improve system security. I only recommend this if you are very careless when surfing the Internet or have your phone rooted, since otherwise it is very difficult to get infected. When browsing the Internet, you have to be especially careful with spam and also with drive-by downloads, since they could affect your system, but they can only affect your system if you are not attentive. For example, if a file is downloaded automatically without your consent or it asks you to download a new extension for the browser, don't do it, it is surely malware, but with the antivirus activated it could get blocked.

If you don't know what a drive-by download is, here is explained

That the cooked rom you installed is hacked

This is rather a warning to use caution and judgment if you are going to install a different Rom from the original, that is, a cooked one. I'm not saying they are all hacked, but don't trust them.

That you download some malicious application

This is a slightly more controversial subject. When it comes to third-party software it is more than obvious that you have to be careful with what you install, since it could be infected, I mean the apk. The issue is when it comes to whether Google Play is safe, as you know the Google Play software is not made exclusively by Google, but external developers also participate, which, in fact, I support, since it is a way to promote software development for individuals and not just companies.

But, what seems an advantage could also be a disadvantage, since Google does not manage to test all the apps in the Play Store.
It is best not to install apps of dubious reputation and edit the permissions of the applications so that they do not have access to things that are not necessary. For example, if Angry Birds has access to the camera, it is better to disable it, take special care with apps that have internet access.

Security measures

Apart from the above, other things that must be taken into account and are essential for the security of the phone:

• Do not root the cell phone
• Apply security updates

If you are going to root the phone, be very careful because it can be very dangerous. Although, it can allow you to modify the cell phone to your liking, it can have serious consequences because what you are doing is giving administrator privileges to your user, with which not only you have access to the entire system, but also any application (or virus ), which is very dangerous. It is highly recommended that you do not do it, unless you are really careful and follow what I say in this post to the letter, then you will be safe

This guide is very good, although it is in English: https://media.blackhat.com/bh-ad-11/Oi/bh-ad-11-Oi-Android_Rootkit-WP.pdf

Updates are also important, as what they do is patch loopholes in phone security. So whenever the phone prompts you, update the system.

Fonts

Here are some sources that helped me and that make a more exhaustive analysis:

• http://www.sophos.com/es-es/security-news-trends/security-trends/malware-goes-mobile/smartphone-as-emerging-threat-vector.aspx
• http://www.protecciononline.com/poca-seguridad-de-los-celulares-con-android/
• http://mashable.com/2013/08/01/how-hackers-turn-your-android-into-a-spyphone/

And here are some news and posts that also talk about this, although some have slightly less precise information:

• http://www.informationweek.com/mobile/google-dont-fear-android-malware/d/d-id/1111863?
• http://antivirus.about.com/od/wirelessthreats/a/Is-Google-Play-Safe.htm
• http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/google-in-the-enterprise/malware-in-the-google-play-store-enemy-inside-the-gates/
• http://www.clarin.com/internet/Alerta-virus-peligrosos-celulares-Android_0_981502081.html
• http://www.taringa.net/posts/info/11781844/Android-Virus-en-el-90.html