MALWARE ON DEVICES? HERE’S WHAT YOU SHOULD DO.
Research carried out by Transsion, found out that Techno phones that are being bought very vigorously in Africa, have a disruptive malware. This was found out after the phones were sold in South Africa. Transsion, the company that makes the Techno phones, defended themselves and said that they value their customer’s security and that every software installed runs through a rigorous security check.
The malware is said to use up mobile data and registers them for unwanted subscriptions that have been pre-installed in those phones. The Africans have experienced the greatest trouble because most of these Techno phones are low-cost which attracts the low-income earners.
Fortunately, the research found out that TecnoW2 was the only device that had that problem and not all Techno phones. The malware, called xHelper, subscribes users to services that consume pre-paid airtime. Moreover, xHelper persists across reboots, app removals and even factory resets making it difficult to deal with it.
Knowledge is power. These days, one should not only leave the problem to the technicians but also take a step in knowing what this malware is, what problems they cause, and how to get rid of them. First of all, there are four types of malware;
1. Virus- This is a common type of malware that gets attached to files and attachments. It works when the file is open by intruding on the computer.
2. Trojan- This type gets attached to software programs. You can easily think that it is a useful software but once you download it, it corrupts data and affects the performance of the system.
3. Ransomware- This one encrypts data. It hides your data until you pay the attacker to get back your data.
4. Spyware- This one is used by spies to spy users from inside the computer. Once inside, the spy can access your passwords and credit card numbers.
Nobody is safe.
The only way is to be on the lookout and take extra precautions. To curb the problems that malware cause, one should;
1. Avoid downloading suspicious files from untrusted sources.
2. Use an adblocker which prevents the temptation to click on it yet it may be a malware.
3. Be careful when browsing especially in unprofessional sites.
4. Invest in an antivirus software from a reputable company such as Norton.
