Have you heard of Madware yet? If you have an Android device, you will want to read this because your phone is at risk of Madware attack! Madware only affects Android phones.
What is Madware?
Madware is short for “mobile adware” that can sneak its way into your phone when you download mobile apps. Madware causes your phone to display unwanted pop-up ads that can fill the screen even when you are not using the app! Madware can also secretly collect your personal information.
Madware is on the rise. Norton examined 1.5 million apps and found a 210% increase in the number of apps containing Madware. Although most Madware is found on lesser-known apps, many popular apps contain Madware. With these seemingly harmless downloads can come madware (mobile adware) and it proves to be the Trojan Horse of Android’s security. Linking itself to common apps like Angry Birds, Sam’s Club and Flashlight, madware gains access to your personal information, location, settings, and frequently delivers advertising inappropriately.
WHAT CAN YOU DO TO GET RID OF MADWARE?
Fight fire with fire! Norton Spot is the Norton app solution for Madware. Norton Spot is an ad detector and scanner of advertising networks that can spam your device via apps you install.
You can download Norton Spot for FREE at the Google Play app store. I have this app on my Android smartphone because it helps me identify apps that don’t respect my privacy and remove them. If you have an Android device, you should get the Norton Spot app, too. Nobody wants to be bothered by weird pop-up ads and spam. Let Norton Spot help you get rid of it!
NORTON TIP: If you think an app is asking for suspicious permissions, it’s always best to do some quick research on your own online to see if this app has had other privacy concerns and/or has been associated with Madware.
How Norton Spot Helped Me
The first time I scanned my Android smartphone with Norton Spot, it found 16 Apps that were doing things like collecting my personal information and displaying ads. Yes, Angry Birds is on the list along with several other apps I downloaded to entertain my kids, help me shop, and even one of my “innocent” reading apps! I was able to go through each of the apps and decide if I wanted to keep them or not. Since I never even use many of the offending apps, I got rid of them and their unwanted spammy attacks on my phone!
Still not convinced to protect your Android device with the free Norton Spot app? Before you go, be sure to check out the facts on this interesting Madware infographic:
I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Norton. I received a promotional item as a thank-you for participating.