Google Takes Down Eight New Joker Apps From Play Store; How To Stay Safe?

Android smartphones and malware attacks have a decade-old history. Every year several malicious apps make their way to Google Play Store infecting devices once downloaded by unguarded users. Joker is one of the most notorious Android malware which was first identified by Google back in 2017 has been making a comeback every now and then.

In 2020 as well, Google took down as many as 17 apps from Play Store for disguising as authentic apps but were laced with the Joker malware. It seems that we are still not entirely secure from this infamous malware. That's because Google just took down eight different Android apps that were affected by Joker malware from the Play Store.

Joker Malware Makes A Comeback?

The Joker malware which Google had identified as one of the Bread apps or Trojans has made a comeback in a similar fashion as earlier. Multiple apps infected with Joker malware made their way to Google Play Store this year. Thankfully, Google has identified the list of such apps and have removed them permanently from the Play Store.

A total of eight apps have been banned from Google Play Store for alleged Joker malware connection. The identified and removed apps ranged from SMS to cam scanner and wallpaper apps.

The SMS or the messenger apps affected with Joker malware were Auxiliary Message, Fast Magic SMS, Go Messages, Super Messages, and Super SMS. Google has also taken down Free Cam Scanner and Element Scanner apps along with the Travel Wallpaper app.

It is worth highlighting here that removing these apps from your phone should be the first course of action to safeguard your device and personal data. An advisory shared by the Belgian police department warns users of this new Joker malware sighting at the Play Store and also suggests to uninstall if any of the aforementioned apps are already downloaded.

How Should You Stay Safe?

The Joker malware is a type of Trojan or fleeceware that disguises as authentic apps targeting victims to get premium subscriptions for which they are charged hefty. The user consent for a premium subscription isn't accounted for in this case.

Google has been on the hunt for all the Bread apps that harbour Joker and other malware. Taking down all these apps from Play Store isn't the only line-of-defence Google has in place. The company has been enhancing the security layers and has also updated policies to safeguard Play Store from such malicious apps.

But despite all the efforts, Joker is making a comeback consistently at the Play Store. While Google is doing its best to keep such malware and trojans at bay, their re-appearance within few months does raise concern amongst the users. Google needs some additional stringent policies for the apps available on the Play Store along with regular monitoring.

In the meanwhile, we should also be cognizant of any suspicious-looking app on the Google Play Store. There are numerous third-party apps and sometimes it is hard to guess their authenticity. But, it's always advised to be download apps from trusted sources and read all the reviews before proceeding with any app installation.

Also, keep a tab on the permission any app asks for while completing the installation process. Don't give unnecessary SMS or call read permissions to third party apps.