#fakeapps

மாயை ரகசியங்களை வெளிச்சம்

As per the recent publication from USYD and Data61, over 2000 fake apps were discovered in the Google Play Store recently, including duplicates of popular games like Temple Run. These can present quite a threat to unsuspecting users through spreading malware and stealing data through excessive user permissions. In coming across this story in the news, I wondered how the average user would be able to spot the difference. After doing some further research, I identified 5 key traits to look for in a suspicious app: - App icon has slight differences in colour/shape/size of elements - Reviews are often low and/or polarising, with 5-star reviews often using the same text or unusual syntax and 1-star reviews warning other users about the app’s dangers. - # of downloads is unusually low for an app one expects to be popular - The app and developer name have additional words or characters that shouldn’t be there, or uses words that look similar. - The description contains spelling and grammar errors, or other unusual language and links. Users should consistently remove unused apps, and if they think an app that they have is fake, they should firstly clear the app cache and app data. Following this, they should delete the app; if the app has gained access to admin permissions, the user should reboot the device in safe mode to delete it. Failing this, the user should perform a factory reset. For any apps users spot that appear to be fake, make sure to report the app to the App Store/Play Store so that other users don’t fall for it!