With the evolving technology, people in this ultra connected world process billions of corporate & personal data points through mobile devices every second. While organizations leverage these handy devices to boost their productivity & offer optimal experience to their users, threat actors exploit mobile devices to launch attack for their own illicit gain.

Smart phones have inherit capabilities that when legally exploited enable attackers to locate users, steal credentials & other important information, access files, messages & eavesdrop on their communications etc. Smart phones are hence target of choice among cyber maniacs.

Recent research reveals that the renowned digital distribution service, Google Play store was recently targeted by adware developers to extort users. The now-removed 85 apps in question disguised as streaming TV, games, remote control simulator apps in Google Play store had collectively been installed by 9 million users from around the globe.

The identified malignant apps have the ability to cause nuisance by bombarding mobile screens with full screen advertisements that appear at regular intervals. The adware program is especially designed to disrupt, damage or gain authorized access to the data while the victim often remains unaware of the attack.

Even when users are not browsing the internet, the apps lurk in the background of the infected device & raise havoc, rendering the device sluggish.

List of now removed Android Adware apps on Google Play Store

Among the fake android adware apps the most popular ones include:

1. Easy Universal TV Remote: This was the four-star rated app that was downloaded more than 5 million times before it was finally removed from the app store.
2. Prado Parking City 3D Game
3. Police Chase Extreme City 3D Game
4. Moto Racing
5. Parking Game
6. A/C Air Conditioner Remote
7. Garage Door Remote Control etc

Though these android adware apps came from different developers & had different APK (Android Package Keys) certified public keys, the coding of most of these apps were similar & were often similarly named.

If you think clicking on the close button of the app solves the problem then maybe you are new to cyber crime world. The add may disappear from the screen but it hides its icon on the user’s device & still runs in the background. The full screen ad appears gain with the frequency of 15-30 minutes on user’s device.

Uninstalling the pernicious app definitely solves the problem but it is not as easy as it sounds. The constant appearance of full-screen ads makes it difficult to remove the nasty app.

Malware removal tips for Android devices

Adware has come a long way from being nothing more than annoying pop-ups and data collection. For many adware makers, revenue depends on the number of clicks and downloads they receive, some have now created “malvertising” code that can infect and root your device, forcing it to download specific adware types and allowing attackers to steal personal information. It is therefore deemed important to follow safe practices to keep your phone free of Android adware apps. These include:

1. Read app ratings & user reviews: Users should pay heed to app ratings and reviews while downloading any app. Moreover going through app reviews goes a long way. While positive reviews can be easily faked, negative reviews are more likely to reveal the true nature of the app.
2. Use secure Wi-Fi: Use of strong passwords inhibits third parties from snooping or carrying out man-in-mobile-attacks.
3. Antivirus Protection: Installing authenticated antivirus programs on your device like Avira & Kaspersky Labs Inc is deemed important to detect and block malicious apps.
4. Keep the apps updated: The updated apps are free from security loopholes. Hence, using latest version of the apps reduces the risk of malware infiltration & device exploitation.

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