Is Google Play Store Really Safe?
By: Varsha Kumar
Ah, you are looking for an app, since your phone is a bit old, you need a good QR scanner. After downloading an app with many 5-star reviews and many downloads, though, from a reputable Google Play Store, you think that you are safe. However, it is revealed that it is part of the SlopAds malware, where, through "steganography" or hiding malicious code inside images to sneak past Google Play Protect, it is able to deliver fraudulent ads without alteration from security tools in devices.
Not only that, but there is also Vapor Operation, a campaign that allows many apps to bypass local device security, thereby flooding users with ads and phishing pages. Anatsa, a popular banking Trojan among PDF readers, document editors, QR code apps, etc., can be used to hack a device, steal bank information, and use it to perform fraudulent transactions.
This doesn’t mean that one shouldn’t stop downloading apps from Google or other app stores. Rather, it is important to be able to recognize which ones are fraudulent or not, which could save you a lot of hassle, money, and avoid major identity theft and losing massive amounts of money.
- Is it popular?
Check if an app has been popular or common for many years. No new apps have been launched recently, which could take time for the public to see if they have been stealing data, but well-known secure apps. If an app has been launched recently, wait for someone else to take the hit, not you, to see if it’s safe.
- Excessive Permissions?
See what permissions are needed. For example, an app clearly doesn’t need for the user to enable locations and microphone permissions for a simple PDF reader app, which can clearly be a red flag.
- Flaws?
Are there grammatical errors? Maybe different spellings of popular and safe apps, such as MckAfee instead of McAfee (a popular security software app), grammatical errors in the description, etc. If so, maybe it’s not a good idea to download that app.
While there might still be apps out there, remember to always be aware and alert. Google Play Store actually does a good job of filtering malicious apps, but nothing is perfect. Being a digital citizen means that it is important to take important measures and understand how to stay safe, even through popular software, which means questioning and understanding every download and alert from your local security software. Knowledge is a public good, so remember to always be knowledgeable online.