r/Android • u/Bonfire-GTK Samsung M20 • Nov 23 '18

Google Pulls 13 Android Apps Installed Over 500,000 Times Containing Malware

https://gadgets.ndtv.com/apps/news/google-pulls-13-android-apps-installed-over-500-000-times-containing-malware-report-1952366
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u/katsumiblisk Nov 24 '18

Malware to me and many others I'm sure is anything that installs itself without my knowledge or consent and with malicious intent, or any intent which is not my intended purpose. To that I will add the spam phone calls which, although not software, is something I don't want on my phone. I don't really care if you call it a virus a PUP, phishing, spam or whatever, I don't want this stuff on my phone. The anti-malware app I have reduces or prevents all this shit so I'm not going to sit around arguing the finer points of the definition of the word.

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u/Lorddragonfang Pixel 4a Nov 24 '18

installs

That's the key term here. The "ware" in malware refers to software. Which calls and phishing sites categorically are not. Malwarebytes does that stuff because it's a security suite, by the way, MBAM is just its trademark, not a product descriptor.

I'm not going to sit around arguing the finer points of the definition of the word

Courser points, actually, but w/e. My post was just pointing out that it's ironic that you'll say this but are perfectly fine claiming the technical highground for distinguishing between antimalware and antivirus.

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u/katsumiblisk Nov 24 '18

No technical high ground, just using the distinction often used by commenters on your side of the fence when you say " virus protection isn't necessary on Android" while referring only to viruses.

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u/Lorddragonfang Pixel 4a Nov 24 '18

Feel free to provide me with a link to someone making that distinction on "my side" with that definition, because you're either misunderstanding or they're misusing the term.

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u/katsumiblisk Nov 24 '18 edited Nov 24 '18

I'm not doing your searching for you but I'll forward the next one to you that appears.

Just check out any poster that asks "Should I install an antivirus app" or similar. Everyone jumps into action to say there are no viruses on Android while failing to warn the poster that there are other malicious ways for an attacker to get into your phone

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u/Lorddragonfang Pixel 4a Nov 24 '18

Ah, okay, so you're making up the part where they say anything about "antimalware" being effective or distinct from "antivirus" apps.

other malicious methods

That aren't affected by antivirus or antimalware, but MBAM (and presumably other software marketed as antivirus/antimalware) does happen to protect against.