Android users placed on red alert and asked to follow four new rules to stay safe

Android users have been placed on a red alert after being asked to follow four new rules in order to stay safe.

It’s important to be aware of a new threat targeting certain smartphones if you’re an Android user.

This is according to experts in security at Bitdefender who have revealed that there has been a spike in the amount of devices being infiltrated with malware.

In particular, Brokewell malware has been infecting phones, which is a bug capable of spying, stealing messages and even taking control of the devices remotely.

Through this, cyber criminals are able to gain access to sensitive information including passcodes and banking details.

Android users have been placed on a red alert (Surasak Suwanmake/Getty Images)

How can you protect your Android device from malware?

In order to tighten up the cybersecurity of your phone, you need to be aware of which advertisements you are clicking on.

This is because the latest bug is using a way to trick its victims through ads that are displayed purporting to be for an app.

In the ads, it is claimed that users can access premium financial services free of charge but once downloaded, the malware allows hackers access into your phone.

So, it’s important to be careful about which advertisements you click on.

In a report by the Mirror, it detailed a recent analysis by Bitdefender which showed that there are 75 ads running the malware and could have reached up to tens of thousands of users just in the EU alone.

Bitdefender said: “Bitdefender researchers recently uncovered a wave of malicious ads on Facebook that lure targets with promises of a free TradingView Premium app for Android.

“Instead of delivering legitimate software, the ads drop a highly advanced crypto-stealing trojan - an evolved version of the Brokewell malware.”

Android users are being targeted by cyber criminals (boonchai wedmakawand/Getty Images)

Simple steps to protect yourself from malicious activity on your smartphone.

There are some easy ways that you can reduce the risk of falling victim to malicious ads online.

First up, only download apps from your device’s store, such as Google Play, rather than following a link through an ad.

It is also important not to trust any advertisements, even if they are being displayed on well known platforms like Instagram or Facebook. This is because hackers are purposely targeting those social media apps in order to gain their victims’ trust.

Always make sure to read the permissions that an app is requesting when you’re downloading it and if the app is requesting things like access to passcodes and other sensitive information, don’t allow it.