Despite the fact that there has already been a long and long talk on the subject and that it has been warned actively and passively, we will all agree that, even knowing the risks , applications that are not on Google Play will continue to be downloaded . It is not that Google Play is a 100% safe place, but it is more reliable than any website ending in .blogspot that hosts APKs in MEGA.
It is true that there are many apps that cannot be downloaded from the Play Store because they go against the company’s own policy, although they are really useful. That makes many people want to get a slice of it. How? Making modified clones of apps that, deep down, are still nothing but malware. If you plan to download an APK from the Internet, I advise you to keep reading . Since you’re going to do it, at least do it knowing that the file is safe.
Check the integrity of APKs using VirusTotal
VirusTotal is an old acquaintance when it comes to computer security. Born in Malaga and bought in 2012 by Google, the tool developed by Hispasec Sistemas allows you to analyze any file completely free of charge using more than 50 antivirus engines and more than 60 online scan engines . Thanks to VirusTotal you can analyze any APK –or any file, no matter the format– that you have downloaded and check whether or not it is safe before installing it on your mobile.
For that matter, we have chosen the WhatsApp Gold APK , a fake version of WhatsApp with a questionable reputation. To analyze a file you simply have to go to the web, upload it and wait a couple of seconds for the analysis to run. As you can see, five antivirus and security engines detect vulnerabilities in the app , so you may not be interested in installing it on your mobile at all.
You can try as many files as you want , as long as they are less than 128MB. It is valid for APKs, office automation documents, .exe files … any format is supported. You lose nothing by spending 20 seconds checking its integrity before installing a file. Better to invest 20 seconds in being careful than having to format the mobile or even have to take it to the SAT because you have installed something that you should not install. Remember, forewarned man is worth two.
