It seems like every couple of weeks we see another report cautioning people about the danger of malicious apps—sneaky software that tracks your location, steals your passwords, runs up phone bills, or worse.
This week’s installment, courtesy of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, is generating quite a stir. So I thought I’d take a minute to remind people of some of the steps we’ve taken to help protect the Windows Phone Store and its customers.
- The Windows Phone Store is the exclusive consumer source of Windows Phone apps. This helps ensure the quality of the apps that show up in our Store, and on your phones.
- Every app is tested and certified by Microsoft so you can feel confident when you download one from the Windows Phone Store. We review every app that developers submit for potential malware and performance issues.
- No system is perfect, but if we discover a malicious app, we remove it.
As a result, malware hasn’t been much of an issue for Windows Phone customers. If you ever do suspect that an app is doing something it shouldn’t, report it to us at [email protected] and we’ll check it out.
Even with all of these preventative measures in place, we do still encourage caution and advise against clicking links, SMS messages, or emails from unfamiliar sources. And we also recommend that you protect the info on your phone by setting up a password. Here’s how to do that—plus more tips for keeping your phone secure.