Cybersecurity is becoming one of the most critical elements of the modern technologically interconnected world. Hacking and cyber threats are no longer minor or insignificant since they pose a risk to the largest critical infrastructures, exemplified by the recent attacks on pipelines and government systems. However, the less discussed and addressed subject is the cybersecurity of mobile phones, which are among the most used and vital devices for the majority of the population. Anti-virus software programs are essential for ensuring the safety and security of mobile phones to combat hacking and other forms of cyberattacks.
It is important to note that the action of hacking a device or system can be done in a multitude of ways, among which the use of viruses is the most common method. The hacking methods, such as fishing and ransomware, use viruses to encrypt vital data on a system, with the only option being to pay a ransom to the hacker in order to retrieve the data (Mos & Chowdhury, 2020). Since Android mobile phones are the most popular products on the market, the discussion will primarily focus on them. A study found that “Android … comes with a lot of security issues, being open source comes with a lot of threats from malicious users that have access to the software” (Mos & Chowdhury, 2020, p. 638). In other words, it is critical for Android users to take extra precautionary measures in order to secure their phones and the data stored on their devices.
In order to further showcase how viruses are involved in mobile phone hacking processes, it is critical to understand the underlying mechanisms. Another research states that the “current security structure of the Android OS makes it trivial for hackers to acquire source codes of legitimate applications and republish them after injecting malicious codes into the original source codes” (Zheng et al., 2017, p. 1). Thus, the viruses are integrated into existing and popular applications, which are activated and able to disrupt the target system when downloaded and used. For example, “mobile banking applications are lucrative targets of the hackers to access user data without authorization” (Zheng, X., Pan, L., & Yilmaz, E. (2017, p. 1). Therefore, not only can data be encrypted by the virus, but essential and sensitive financial information on the phone can be stolen for malicious use by hackers.
However, the risk of hacking does not solely affect Android users because the alternative system, such as iOS, is not foolproof either. A mobile phone is always dangerous to be hacked and attacked if a user does not take the necessary security measures. Anti-viruses specifically designed for mobile phones are the most effective solution since they are able to detect, identify, and prevent viruses from disrupting the system beforehand. Such software programs are available on the market, and they provide value in providing cybersecurity for mobile phones. Since the vast majority of the population and businesses rely on these devices to communicate, interact, function, and work, it is important to protect any personal data using mobile anti-viruses.
In conclusion, anti-virus software programs for mobile phones are essential to ensure that a phone is not hacked and compromised because hackers primarily rely on viruses to disrupt the system and encrypt data. The dependence on viral agents by cyber attackers provides a substantive basis for using the existing mobile phone anti-virus products. Although Android devices are the most vulnerable to hacking, the risk is present in regards to all types of mobile phone systems if anti-virus is not used.
References
Mos, A., & Chowdhury, M. M. (2020). Mobile security: A look into Android. 2020 IEEE International Conference on Electro Information Technology, 2020, 638-642.
Zheng, X., Pan, L., & Yilmaz, E. (2017). Security analysis of modern mission-critical android mobile applications. ACSW ’17: Proceedings of the Australasian Computer Science Week Multiconference, 2, 1-9.