{"id":2671,"date":"2012-08-09T10:51:14","date_gmt":"2012-08-09T15:51:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/zepfhyr.com\/blog\/?p=2671"},"modified":"2019-01-12T17:28:13","modified_gmt":"2019-01-12T23:28:13","slug":"android-malware-still-a-thing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zepfhyr.com\/blog\/2012\/08\/android-malware-still-a-thing\/","title":{"rendered":"Android Malware: Still a thing"},"content":{"rendered":"

So yesterday, I was reading an absolutely ridiculous article over at BusinessInsider<\/a> wherein the author (Kevin Smith, but not that<\/em> Kevin Smith<\/a>) detailed his decision to switch to Android if the next iPhone didn’t have specific features. Never mind the fact that at this point, it’s too late for Apple to even consider his features and that he’s not important enough to warrant Apple seeking his approval. Hilariously,\u00c2\u00a0he referred to it as the iPhone 5, even though there’s no precedent to indicate Apple will even call it that. Maybe he’ll stay in limbo forever waiting for a phone to be released that doesn’t exist.<\/p>\n

Anyway, while perusing the comments on the article, I came across this doozy from one\u00c2\u00a0@Julie2aT<\/a>:<\/p>\n

Please oh please tell me of one virus that Android has? Oh, you’re talking about malware for installing applications from un-trusted sources? Only fools would ever download applications from third parties (I’m talking outside of Play Store, Amazon, SliderME)… the nerve of some people.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I tried to respond in the comments, but BusinessInsider’s website appears to be broken (so, it’s not\u00c2\u00a0just<\/em> their authors) and comments would never post from any browser on my Mac or even Internet Explorer on a PC. So, rather than give up, I’ve decided to post my reply here for your entertainment (and hopefully, so @Julie2aT can see it).<\/p>\n

——-<\/p>\n

Actually, malware has been a problem with Google’s own marketplace for some time:<\/p>\n

From March 2, 2011: Android Market Apps Hit With Malware<\/a>
\n(more info on this one: The Mother Of All Android Malware Has Arrived: Stolen Apps Released To The Market That Root Your Phone, Steal Your Data, And Open Backdoor<\/a>)<\/p>\n

“Sure, but Google has already resolved that,” you say. “That was over a year ago. It’s not like it’s happened since.”<\/p>\n

My mistake. I must have misunderstood this article several months later.<\/p>\n

From June 13, 2011: Google pulls more malware from Android Market<\/a><\/p>\n

“Well, yeah, but that’s still over a year ago,” you retort. “What about something from THIS year?”<\/p>\n

Okay. From January 16, 2012: Fake Angry Birds Game spreading Malware from Android Market<\/a><\/p>\n

“Ugh. Whatever. Google has obviously fixed the problem, if the last one you’ve got is from more than half-a-year ago.”<\/p>\n

Sure. You’re probably right. Oh, wait\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<\/p>\n

From August 6, 2012: More Android malware sprouting up amidst 2012 Olympics<\/a><\/p>\n

“Oh, please. That was a whole three days ago. Surely\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6”<\/p>\n

I rest my case.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

So yesterday, I was reading an absolutely ridiculous article over at BusinessInsider wherein the author (Kevin Smith, but not that Kevin Smith) detailed his decision to switch to Android if the next iPhone didn’t have specific features. Never mind the fact that at this point, it’s too late for Apple to even consider his features […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[257],"tags":[160,348,48,266,264,265],"class_list":["post-2671","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-rat","tag-android","tag-apple","tag-google","tag-iphone","tag-malware","tag-virus","post-preview"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_likes_enabled":false,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2699,"url":"https:\/\/zepfhyr.com\/blog\/2012\/09\/best-over-first-or-how-apple-avoids-jetpack-design-and-wins-every-time\/","url_meta":{"origin":2671,"position":0},"title":"Best Over First or, how Apple avoids jetpack design and wins every time","author":"Jared Cash","date":"September 18, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Just a couple days ago, I wrote about how Apple's new mantra appears to be \"Best Over First\", as they continue to improve their hardware and software by focusing on adding features better than everyone else, rather than adding features\u00c2\u00a0before everyone else. My neighbor and bestie (a proud Android user)\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "iPhone\/iPad"","block_context":{"text":"iPhone\/iPad","link":"https:\/\/zepfhyr.com\/blog\/category\/apple\/iphone-ipad\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2694,"url":"https:\/\/zepfhyr.com\/blog\/2012\/09\/in-tech-best-beats-first-almost-every-time\/","url_meta":{"origin":2671,"position":1},"title":"In tech: Best beats first, almost every time","author":"Jared Cash","date":"September 13, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"It's not often that I read a post on MacDailyNews and I don't close the window in disgust at the idiocy in the comments. Most of the time, it immediately devolves into political extremism and fanboy mudslinging. The number of idiots that use every opportunity to accuse someone of being\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Apple"","block_context":{"text":"Apple","link":"https:\/\/zepfhyr.com\/blog\/category\/apple\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2990,"url":"https:\/\/zepfhyr.com\/blog\/2013\/07\/chromecast-polish-it-all-you-want-its-still-a-piece-of\/","url_meta":{"origin":2671,"position":2},"title":"Chromecast: Polish it all you want, it’s still a piece of\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6","author":"Jared Cash","date":"July 25, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6okay, that might be a little unfair. I haven't even played with one yet. Google announced several new products yesterday, one of which I got really excited about for almost a whole day. Chromecast is a little device that you plug directly into your TV's HDMI port so that you\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "iPhone\/iPad"","block_context":{"text":"iPhone\/iPad","link":"https:\/\/zepfhyr.com\/blog\/category\/apple\/iphone-ipad\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2760,"url":"https:\/\/zepfhyr.com\/blog\/2013\/01\/best-apple-links-of-the-day\/","url_meta":{"origin":2671,"position":3},"title":"Best Apple links of the day","author":"Jared Cash","date":"January 18, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"I came across a decent number of good articles today about Apple, all of which are worth a read, even if you don't like Apple. Why? Because if you're the type of person that expends any amount of energy repeating the misinformation that passes for journalism these days, it's important\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Apple"","block_context":{"text":"Apple","link":"https:\/\/zepfhyr.com\/blog\/category\/apple\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2369,"url":"https:\/\/zepfhyr.com\/blog\/2012\/03\/on-the-elimination-of-complexity-in-both-entertainment-and-creation\/","url_meta":{"origin":2671,"position":4},"title":"On the elimination of complexity in both entertainment and creation","author":"Jared Cash","date":"March 9, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"The new GarageBand for iOS has been out for two days and my 9-year old son has already recorded his own song and created a Jam Session with my two-and-a-half-year old. People that choose Android over the iPhone\/iPad clearly hate their children.","rel":"","context":"In "Apple"","block_context":{"text":"Apple","link":"https:\/\/zepfhyr.com\/blog\/category\/apple\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":3568,"url":"https:\/\/zepfhyr.com\/blog\/2018\/03\/get-an-apple-tv-4k-for-105-or-maybe-less\/","url_meta":{"origin":2671,"position":5},"title":"Get an Apple TV 4K for $105 (or maybe less)","author":"Jared Cash","date":"March 20, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"DIRECTV NOW is giving away a 32GB Apple TV 4K if you prepay for 3 months of service. That's a savings of $74 (retail price for Apple TV 4K is $179). Plus, if you have a Bank of America debit card or your financial institution offers purchase rewards, you might\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Apple"","block_context":{"text":"Apple","link":"https:\/\/zepfhyr.com\/blog\/category\/apple\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/zepfhyr.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2671","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/zepfhyr.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/zepfhyr.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zepfhyr.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zepfhyr.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2671"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/zepfhyr.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2671\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3813,"href":"https:\/\/zepfhyr.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2671\/revisions\/3813"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/zepfhyr.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2671"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zepfhyr.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2671"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zepfhyr.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2671"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}