The second type of malware exploits vulnerabilities in phones, gaining access to sensitive information by giving itself administrator privileges. But they also let the app run constantly in the background and show users ads even when they were using unrelated apps. That's where the Ads Blocker app fits in, and many of the permissions it requested sound like something a real ad blocker would have needed. Keep your Android phone safe from hackers with regular software updates. The first type of malware tricks you into granting permissions that let it access sensitive information. Mobile malware typically takes one of two approaches, said Adam Bauer, a security researcher for mobile security company Lookout.

So how do you know if you have malware on your phone, and how can you stop it? Here are some takeaways from mobile malware experts on what you can do. Malwarebytes says it found close to 200,000 total instances of malware on its customers' devices in May and then again in June. Malware can be disorienting, getting in the way of how you normally use your phone and making you feel uneasy even if you aren't sure what's causing the problem. An adware infection can make your phone so frustrating to use that you want to Hulk out and crush it, but Android malware can do worse things - like stealing personal information from your phone. Researchers say adware like Ads Blocker is the most common type of malware on Android devices. 'They're making money,' said Nathan Collier, a researcher at internet security company Malwarebytes who helped identify the bogus ad blocker in November, 'And that's the name of the game.'

Malware often also harvests fake clicks on the ads, doubling up on the value for the makers. It's just one example of malware that can frustrate Android phone users, plaguing them with ads that the creators get paid to display, even when they're looking at unrelated apps. But people quickly found the app was nothing less than malware that served up more ads, according to security researchers. A mobile app called Ads Blocker, for example, promised to remove pesky ads from your phone, which sometimes pop up to cover your screen just when you're about to access something important.

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