7 habits that are more important than using antivirus software on your phone

Use Antivirus software Having it on every device you owned made sense in the early days of personal computing, but modern smartphones are designed to be more secure. Both Apple and Google have extensive security measures in place that make phones more difficult targets for traditional malware than older computers.

The biggest threat to smartphones today is often not malware at all. They are phishing scripts, fake websites, and account takeover scams. That’s why there are more effective ways to improve your security than purchasing antivirus software for your mobile device.

Your phone is already doing a lot of work

Both iPhone and Android devices are designed to keep apps separate from each other. An app can usually only access information and features that you have specifically authorized it to use. If it is a malicious application He does By sliding down, it’s generally harder to get around the rest of your device than it was on an older PC.

Apple takes a particularly restrictive approach. Apps must come through the App Store (Although they are expanding that in certain areas) as it undergoes a review process before publication. Apple also tightly controls what apps can do once they’re installed. For some people, the situation may seem too controlling, but from a security point of view, this approach has its advantages.

This same approach also limits what antivirus apps can do on iPhones. Unlike Antivirus software on a Windows computerMobile security apps generally cannot scan the operating system itself because Apple restricts this level of access. There’s not much point in running an antivirus that can’t even scan your device.

Android gives its users more freedom, which comes with more risks. It is possible to install apps from outside the Google Play Store, which is known as sideloading. This is also where many Android malware infections start. But Android includes many built-in protections including Google Play Protect, app permissions controls, and regular security updates that patch newly discovered vulnerabilities.

aside, The Google Play Store periodically hides apps that no longer meet current security standardswhich adds another layer of protection.

None of this means that phones are impossible to give up. Security researchers discover new flaws all the time, and bad actors are constantly looking for ways to exploit them. But compared to the computers many of us used a decade or so ago, today’s smartphones are much more difficult targets. Instead, many cybercriminals focus their efforts elsewhere.

Your accounts are a bigger target than your phone

Being tricked into giving up account access is arguably a greater cybersecurity risk than getting malware on your phone. Phishing texts, fake package delivery notifications, and scam calls and Fraudulent login pages It has become one of the most common ways criminals target smartphone users.

The formula is usually simple. The message creates a sense of urgency and asks you to click a link, log into an account, or verify a payment. A website often looks legitimate enough that many people don’t realize anything is wrong until their credentials have actually been stolen.

This type of attack is known as Social engineering It is becoming increasingly popular because it is usually easier than finding a technical vulnerability. Modern smartphones have strong built-in security protections, but these generally cannot prevent someone from voluntarily entering a password into a fake website.

That’s why many security experts advocate phishing awareness, strong passwords, and two-factor authentication as they do protection against malware. For the general population, protecting their accounts is more important than worrying about whether or not their phone is infected with a virus.

Here’s what I recommend instead of getting an antivirus for your phone

If you’re looking for the biggest security payoff, look no further than looking for the perfect antivirus app and Focus on the things that actually prevent the most compromises.

• Keep your phones and apps updated
• Download apps only from the App Store or Google Play
• Review app permissions and disable access you don’t need (most apps don’t need your location data, for example)
• Use strong and unique passwords For important accounts
• Store passwords in Password manager (Betwarden It won CNET’s Best Overall Password Manager award. I also recommend 1Password)
• Enable two-factor authentication (preferably not via text) or Passkeys when available
• Be careful with unexpected texts, links, and attachments

None of these steps are particularly exciting, but they are the measures that consistently make the biggest difference.

When a mobile security app actually makes sense

Most people can stop reading here and go about their day. If you keep your phone updated, download apps from official stores and exercise a little caution online, you’re probably in good shape.

However, there are exceptions. If you’re the type of person who regularly sideloads Android apps, downloads files from unfamiliar websites, or likes to try software that’s not offered through Google Play, a mobile security app may provide some extra peace of mind.

The further you step outside the built-in guardrails of modern smartphones, the more useful the additional security tools become.