Beware of pop-up warnings on your phones
Q: I recently received a notification on my iPhone that I have a virus and that I needed to download whatever they were advocating to fix it. Of course, I’m skeptical and tried to download the free Malwarebytes program, the same program I have on my computer. But when I tried to do that through the App Store, I got all kinds of virus programs except the one I am looking for. What is a good antivirus program to install on my phone if I can’t get Malwarebytes?
A: First of all, you were correct to be skeptical of the message you received. This is, indeed, a scam.
Pop-up warnings of virus attacks and other security warnings are becoming more commonplace. The idea is to scare computer and mobile device users into installing software that could be harmful to the device or software that may charge a fee to “fix” certain problems that don’t actually exist.
Some of these warnings go so far as to actually lock up a computer with a dire warning that you must call the number on your screen to resolve the issue.
If you get a warning like this, you can usually close it like any other pop-up advertisement. But sometimes you have to power off the computer or phone to make it go away. But whatever you do, don’t click the link or call the number.
As to your question about antivirus or antimalware software for your iPhone, I will say that you probably don’t need anything. I know Malwarebytes makes versions of their software for PCs and Macs, but they don’t make it for iPhones. Interestingly, they do make a version for Android phones.
In my experience, iPhones and other Apple devices are simply not as prone to virus and malware exploitation. That’s not to say they are invulnerable. But the majority of malicious software seems to be targeting Windows and Android.
Most companies I know with strict mobile device policies will require antivirus to be installed on an Android device or a Windows computer, but not on an iPhone.
In my opinion, your best protection is simply keeping a backup of your iPhone and making sure you have your accounts and the device secured with proper passwords and PINs.