I have written many times to make everyone aware that the bad guys are out there trying to infect your computer with bad stuff (malware).  People are starting to take action to protect themselves.

With the increasing popularity of smart phones, the bad guys are out to make a buck where they can.  They have written some pretty nasty stuff that can infect your phones.  Some of this stuff is just meant to steal your data–like passwords, account numbers, etc.  Others do to a phone what the software like CryptoLocker does to a computer.  One such piece of malware is called Android/Simplocker.  This malware, after gaining access to an Android device, scans the SD card for certain file types, encrypts them, and demands a ransom in order to decrypt the files.   Needless to say, it could ruin your day.

Much of this bad software comes along with downloaded apps that are downloaded from unofficial sites.  So a word to the wise–apps can be very useful for things from tracking your exercise history to showing you the best places to buy gas.  Just watch where you get them.  If in doubt, remember that Google is your friend–look for problems reported by other users and learn from their mistakes.

Oh–and another warning–you can also infect your iPhone!  This is done mostly by clicking on questionable links on websites.  The resulting malware spies on you and reports your vital stuff to those who can profit from it.