THERE'S A LOT OF NASTY VIRUSES GOING AROUND - GET THE FIVEBARS FLU JAB

Considering how integral Smartphone’s are now to everyday life, it’s scary to think how much damage can be done by malware – and sometimes all it takes is one lapse in judgement to become infected. Keep reading to find out what these infections could do to you, how to detect them, and how to shield yourself from them.

Smartphone malware infections might seem like a recent concern, but the first attack goes back nearly a full decade. As consumers, we can be lulled into a false sense of security when it comes to electronics and downloads. We believe that if we visit only reputable websites and only download apps, music and games from reputable sites, then all is well. Unfortunately, not!

Computer viruses have plagued consumers for many years now, causing companies to install every kind of firewall protection known to mankind and individuals to spend hundreds of pounds each year on keeping their security updated.

Smartphone’s are the new laptops just with a smaller, sexier design. As Smartphone’s continue to progress and consumers continue to use them for everything from taking pictures of their kids in the park, to managing their financial portfolios, viruses and hackers will continue to find new hunting grounds. Even Apple products with their stringent security processes are not beyond being hacked.

Below are five ways your phone can pick up a virus:

Downloading Apps – Before you can play with a new app, you have to download it and accept the terms and conditions. As a conscious consumer, you read every word in these agreements, right? For the majority of consumers, the answer to that question is (with a shameful bow of the head), "wrong." Within the tiny print of those permission agreements, you may miss the section stating what the app will have access to, including your location, contacts list, social media accounts, email, text, calendar and so forth. Pretty scary stuff.

The Web – Internet downloads are probably the easiest way for your mobile phone to contract a virus. With your favourite TV show or comic book on the line, you may be quick to download any file that promises that content. Beware! You have no idea what could be coded into those files. If your phone is not protected by mobile antivirus software, you will likely get more than just the latest "Community" episode. PC Hook-ups – If your child goes to school and a classmate has lice, it is likely that your little darling will come home with a hair full of the unwanted bugs. The same concept is true any time you connect your Smartphone to your computer via USB. If your computer has a bug and your phone is not protected, it will get the malware, too.

Message Attachments – Whether it's personal or business, you may receive hundreds of texts, video messages and emails every day. You simply ignore or delete texts from unfamiliar numbers and your email's spam box filters out the most obvious offenders. If your Smartphone has a virus, however, it can send you texts and emails that are disguised as messages from familiar contacts, which you'll probably open, exposing your phone to damage Bluetooth Connection – Bluetooth-enabled phones and connections are becoming the superhighways for airborne viruses. Like the human cold or flu viruses, Bluetooth phones can infect one another by simply being in the same vicinity. This is quite frightening, as almost every phone, Smartphone or not, has Bluetooth capabilities.

As more and more consumers use their Smartphone’s to store their personal and professional information, the temptation for hackers to create dangerous viruses and other malware will continue to increase. Even now, Smartphone’s are a primary target for malicious code.

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