If you use an Android phone and have WhatsApp installed, you need to read an article by Thomas Brewster that is available in the Forbes web site at: http://bit.ly/2xG7jUL.
WhatsApp is a supposedly secure text messaging service owned by Facebook. It uses end-to-end encryption. That should make it safe to use, right? However, the article by Thomas Brewster describes malware (malevolent software) that has already infected as many as 15 million Android cell phones with malware that is disguised as a legitimate Google updating tool. It then displays lots of unwanted advertisements for product and services from questionable web sites.
The intent of the malware is to entice you to click on the ads and “purchase” something. You then may or may not ever receive the good or services you wanted while the scammers pocket your money.
There is good news, however.
First, most of the malware has been found in phones in India. However, there is no guarantee that it will not spread. The best news is that the latest version of the Android operating system disables this particular malware. You can protect your phone simply by installing the latest Android update.
Check it out at: http://bit.ly/2xG7jUL.
Of course, another solution is to simply uninstall WhatsApp before your phone becomes infected. That’s a good idea for many reasons. As I wrote a couple of months ago at https://privacyblog.com/2019/05/17/whatsapp-will-never-be-safe/:
If you use WhatsApp or are thinking about using it, you need to read WhatsApp Will Never Be Safe by Telegram founder Pavel Durov at https://ind.pn/2WR5Q91.
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