Viruses on iPad: how to check and clean iPad from viruses

Avast! Mobile Security & Antivirus

Avast! Mobile Security & Antivirus – a free antivirus for Android will provide maximum protection for your smartphone or tablet. Using remote access, the application will protect your mobile device from viruses, Internet threats, malicious software, data loss and unauthorized access to it. Also avast! Mobile Security includes a firewall, web shield and Anti-Theft feature.

Peculiarities:

Built-in firewall and web shield.
Ability to filter calls and SMS messages.
The ability to remotely lock the device, as well as determine its location.
Real time protection.
Availability of application manager.
Custom updates.
Privacy Reports.
Scheduled scanning.
Anti-Theft function (anti-thief).

How to remove viruses from iPhone

Viruses rarely enter the system of Apple devices, but those that manage to do so penetrate the file system so deeply that it is almost impossible to detect, much less extract them from there. But this is only at first glance. In reality, the most secure codes can be removed by clearing the cookies in the browser you are using. Some other methods can be no less effective.

Force reboot

If the device begins to work slowly, slows down, or even freezes, it is advisable to reboot it or reset the settings. These violations are usually not associated with the influence of viruses or malware, but are caused by software or coding conflicts. A regular or forced reboot will help you cope with the problem and restore your iPhone to working order.

In the first case, just press the power button and select “Turn off” in the menu that opens. When the screen goes dark, press and hold the same “Power” key until the image appears on the display. You need to wait until the download completes and check the functionality of the device.

The second option is used if the screen does not respond to touch and the system does not respond. The actions in this case will be as follows:

simultaneously press and hold the “Home” and “Power” keys;
After 3-4 seconds, the smartphone will forcefully turn off, and then automatically start again.

Depending on the device model, the algorithm may differ slightly:

press and hold the power button for at least 2-3 seconds;
additionally press the volume down control;
wait until the smartphone turns off;
release the keys and wait until the device starts automatically.

OS update

If some bugs interfere with the normal operation of the iPhone, or it begins to slow down and block the opening of some applications, updating the operating system can help. You can perform this procedure through the settings of your smartphone or through the iTunes service on your computer. In the first case, the scenario will look like this.

On your phone, open “Settings” and go to the “General” section;
Select the “Software Update” function, running a check for the latest versions;
If they are detected, the system will notify you of the availability of an update and information about changes;
At the bottom of the screen, click on the “Download and Install” button;
To start, you will need to enter a security password and accept the terms and conditions;
The system will launch the update procedure, after which you will need to perform the installation. Of the two options, it is preferable to select the first “Install now”.

Experts strongly recommend not to neglect installing updates for Apple devices. The current version can ensure uninterrupted operation and security of the smartphone.

Dr.Web

Dr.Web on Android – you can download Dr.Web antivirus for free, conduct a full scan of all programs and files in the smartphone’s memory, as well as on the memory expansion card. The check can be carried out either automatically or manually, and a manual check can be carried out either in quick check mode or in selective or full mode. The antivirus will quarantine malicious objects. Spider can also check files in archives.

ESET Mobile Security & Antivirus

NOD32 Mobile Security & Antivirus - ensure reliable data protection on your Android device with the help of a wonderful antivirus from ESET developers, which not only scans all applications for malware, but also has an anti-theft function, thanks to the ability to remotely access the device. The application also contains many other features that will be very useful to use. Download, install, try!

Viruses in iOS. Do you need antivirus for iPhone and iPad?

5 years have passed since the publication of my article about antivirus for iOS. A lot of time has passed, but things are still there: people constantly ask about this pressing problem. And both live and in the comments. I'll try again with a fresher, more advanced look at the problem.

Are there viruses for iOS?

If everything is clear with Android (antiviruses are clearly needed there), then with iOS the situation is not simple.

There are viruses for iOS, but the threat to a specific user from their presence is not so high. It has long been clear that iPhone and iPad users are a tasty morsel for virus writers, since this is a very solvent audience. But over all the years of the existence of iOS, there were only a couple of dozen cases of viruses being found, and all these stories were widely covered in the press.

On the Internet I found a list of all threats for iOS in English over the past 8 years. But the list comes with a few caveats:

many viruses do not work on the latest version of iOS
many loopholes are only feasible if the device is jailbroken
some threats on the list are special utilities that are written against specific people

For so many years, such a small number of viruses is explained by this:

closed operating system and principle: one application cannot somehow influence the actions of another
Apple's strict policy regarding App Store content

Do I need to install antivirus on iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch?

The answer is no ! Why?

Firstly, because the App Store does not have an antivirus in the usual sense of the word (a program that contains a virus database). And large companies like Symantec or McAfee do anything but release antivirus for iOS. They come up with secure storage and browsers, programs for storing passwords, etc.

Antivirus companies are also taking radical steps. On the Internet, it’s easy to find custom articles on reputable sites that develop paranoia more... Their goal is to convince the user that viruses are about to appear, it’s just that virus writers are not interested in the small audience of Apple users. But this fairy tale is so old that it has grown a beard.

Secondly, by following basic safety rules, the risk of catching the virus tends to zero.

Thirdly, and this is my personal reason. I think that all the information booms related to viruses on iOS are somehow strange.

Let's look at a striking example.

YiSpecter is a virus that infected users from China and Taiwan and was able to download applications to the iPhone, add advertising to third-party applications, change the default search, etc. The buzz was great. However, now, if we try to find information about the virus, this is what we see.

All articles about him are dated October 5-6, 2020. And often these are just reprints. Then the virus was forgotten.
Finding any evidence of the existence of this virus is difficult. Not a single Chinese person has posted a video on Youtube!
The hacking method is described in general terms throughout. But as I understand it, they used trusted profiles installed from some erotic site.
Apple has confirmed the presence of this virus, but the vulnerability is closed in iOS 8.4.

And the situation is similar with several viruses at once. The funny thing is that it is mainly the Chinese who suffer. And it also looks more like some kind of special information dump. Somewhere in the laboratories they took it out, made a fuss, Apple out of harm’s way closed the hole and everyone successfully forgot about the virus.

What should iOS users do to protect themselves from viruses?

Below are not calls, but simply advice that reduces the chance of somehow suffering even from some new viruses.

Update iOS
Don't jailbreak. But even if you did, then do not install any rubbish from unverified sources. Be careful when visiting Chinese stores.
Be wary of installing any profiles from third-party sites. Especially if you don't understand what exactly you are doing.
Do not follow any links that you do not understand. But even if you go through and you get some nonsense like “Your iPad is under attack!”, then just close the page.
Secure your Apple ID with two-step verification. Since Apple ID and password are the first thing that can be stolen from your iPad, iPhone.
Set a password on your device

Good luck to all!

Avira Antivirus Security

Avira Antivirus Security - Now that there are quite a lot of viruses in any application, and in addition to them there is often a lot of advertising, a good antivirus has become worth its weight in gold. Many applications that were created to protect your security have long been outdated, but this application will protect your device in 99 cases out of 100. It works very simply, you can set up real-time protection and scan all incoming files. Or periodically scan your smartphone to protect yourself.

Apple threats

Progress does not stand still; Virus writers and malware developers are increasingly paying attention to the unafraid Mac community, and many researchers claim that the security of the OS X operating system is in question in the near future.

In 2011, a scandal erupted related to a utility for cleaning the system from “garbage” - MacDefender. The virus showed the user a warning that the system was infected with some malware and offered to download a utility to neutralize the infection.

If an unwary user agreed to the download, a dangerous utility for stealing credit card information was installed on the Mac.

Over the past few years, the amount of malware for the OS X platform has been steadily growing. Thus, in 2020 alone, according to Kaspersky Lab, almost 6 million unique attacks on Apple devices were recorded.

In total, during the study of malware for Mac, the company discovered more than 24,000 samples of various malware for this platform, with intensive growth observed recently - just since 2014.

At the beginning of March 2020, a disaster almost broke out involving the famous torrent client Transmission. After the official website of the program was hacked, the installation file was replaced with an infected distribution kit, which blocked the user’s Mac on the third day after installation. To unlock, unknown extortionists offered to pay a certain amount of money.

Fortunately, the problem was discovered and promptly resolved, but some poppy growers still suffered, lost information, and wasted their nerves.

Even I didn't have any antivirus software on my MacBook. However, after the incident with Transmission (which I use myself), I had to install protection. It won't get any worse, but it will help save your nerves and data. After all, the options for introducing dangerous worms and Trojans are becoming more sophisticated, and you don’t want to lose information over several years.

Yes, there are backups and cloud storage. But honestly, Mac owners, when was the last time you used Time Machine? Here I am too, 5 months ago. Do not forget to keep backup copies of your system in a timely manner.