Security experts recommend having antivirus applications installed on our Android or iPhone mobile phones, and they offer the following reasons.
Although having an antivirus installed on our computer is quite common, practically users do not usually have antivirus applications on their mobile phones, and experts talk about it to let us know if this type of program is really necessary on our smartphones .
Unlike laptops, a mobile device is connected to the Internet 24 hours a day, and therefore should have a higher risk of infection than a computer. So why don’t users usually have antivirus apps installed on their Android or iPhone phones ? To do this, we have spoken with ESET, the antivirus firm, which has provided them with different recommendations and tips to keep our mobile devices safe and away from cybercriminals.
The main recommendation is that it is good to have an antivirus program on our mobile phone, although that will depend on the use made of it. For example, if you use your mobile phone to access online banking, it would be recommended that you have an antivirus application installed, but it will not work with just anyone.
They claim that there are certain antivirus applications that actually consume the resources of our mobile in the background, and that they are not entirely reliable. That is why they only recommend installing antivirus programs from well-known companies and obviously through the Play Store or the Apple App Store .
In principle, it could be said that an Android device is much more exposed than an iPhone, since Apple is usually much more strict with the subject of the applications that are available in the App Store, compared to Google, which is usually much more flexible about it. type of applications that are in your store.
Even so, it must be made clear that in the end it is the user himself, with his common sense, who can avoid any type of infection on his mobile . If the mobile phone is used properly, accessing well-known applications and fully recognizable web pages, it would be very difficult for some type of malware to be installed. We must also avoid clicking on fraudulent emails, WhatsApp messages that we do not recognize or even suspicious SMS.
ESET states that one of the main mistakes users make is not updating their operating system for fear that their device will run slower . However, it is not the first time that when updating a mobile phone to a higher operating system, the battery has offered a worse performance or there are even certain suspicions of programmed obsolescence when carrying out this type of update.
They recommend being updated to the latest version of the operating system to avoid security holes seen in old versions, which are not patched.