One of the most important things we should keep in mind when it comes to our computers is that we have to make sure that they have antivirus protection because of how there are plenty of viruses and malware that can easily make life miserable for us. However, since plenty of people are now using tablets instead of computers, does it also follow that we use need to have antivirus protection for our tablets?
You need antivirus protection for your tablet. That’s because, while tablet viruses aren’t as dangerous as the ones found in computers, they can still do a lot of damage and may end up stealing your personal information and financial data if you are not careful enough with how you handle them.
It is often said that your tablet is actually much more in danger of getting stolen than it is of getting attacked by a virus. Still, tablet viruses exist and they can end up threatening your life and finances if you are not careful. This is why it is always recommended that you get a good kind of antivirus protection for your tablet so that you will be at ease when you are using your tablet for different purposes.
Do tablets have viruses?
It has always been one of the most basic tenets of owning a computer that you need to make sure that your computer is protected from viruses. As useful as computers have always been, viruses have been the plague that has made them risky to use for a lot of different people all over the world as they have made it less fun to use a computer. This is why we always need to make sure that we install antivirus protection for our computers.
Meanwhile, as the world is evolving and trending towards the mobile age, we are now using different mobile gadgets such as tablets in place of the bigger and heavier laptop computers. This means that there are now more tablet users who are using their tablets as laptop alternatives if they want to use something that is a lot more compact and portable when they are on the go.
So, given that there are now plenty of tablet users out there on the market, does it also follow that there are viruses that can end up infecting tablets similar to how there are plenty of viruses that can infect and possibly destroy computers?
For the most part, yes, tablets do indeed have viruses. As the way people have been using their devices evolve, so do people with malicious intent. That’s why there are malicious personalities all over the world who have made and created viruses that aim to penetrate tablets and infect their apps and systems so that they can make money out of the ads that come out of these viruses (called adware) or steal personal information and data that the viruses may end up collecting.
There are also some cases where certain computer viruses can also end up infecting tablets when you connect your tablet to a computer and then the virus self-replicates itself to the tablet when you copy and transfer files between the two devices.
However, what you should know for a fact is that tablet viruses are usually just a lot more common for those who are using Android devices because most tablet devices are made to penetrate Android operating systems. In that sense, there are little to no viruses in Apple iPads, which are regarded as the safer options when you want to use a tablet that will probably never get infected with a virus.
Still, even if you are using an Android tablet, that doesn’t mean that your tablet is going to eventually get infected by a virus. The truth of the matter is that you are more at risk of getting your tablet stolen than you are of getting it infected by an Android virus. That’s why more people stress the importance of passwords and anti-theft software for tablets.
But the fact of the matter is that your Android tablet is still at risk of getting infected by a virus due to how there are plenty of different Android users who install apps directly from the web instead of from the Play Store. However, there are also Play Store viruses that are well-disguised as apps but are actually malicious apps that will infect your system with a virus. As such, no matter how careful you are with your usage, your tablet may still get infected one way or another if you are unlucky enough.
Is antivirus protection necessary for a tablet?
That said, now that we know that viruses are pretty rare for tablets regardless of whether you are talking about Android or Apple products, you might be wondering if there is a need to have antivirus protection on a tablet just as how computers basically need antivirus software. After all, if antivirus protection is almost a necessity for computers, your tablet might also need it as well.
Basically, yes, antivirus protection is also necessary for a tablet especially if you are using an Android device. As rare as viruses might be for tablets, they still exist and they can still potentially infect your system. And once they infect your system, they can cause a lot of damage.
The rarity of the viruses is not the issue at hand here because what we are more concerned about is the potential damage that these viruses can do if they do indeed infect your tablet. Think of it as a rare disease that humans can potentially contract. While it might be rare for us to contract some diseases, such diseases can be deadly once we do get infected. As such, it is better to protect ourselves from such diseases even though the chances of us getting infected are slim.
This same concept applies to your tablet in the sense that, even though viruses in tablets can be rare, they are still very much deadly and dangerous enough to make life difficult for you due to the damage that they can potentially make.
That’s because tablet viruses can actually infect different apps that carry your personal data and information. Some of these apps even carry very sensitive personal files and data such as our personal information and certain photos and videos.
Of course, the most dangerous part of it all is the fact that viruses can even infect apps that contain financial information. Once the viruses do indeed infect such apps, your financial information can leak out for malicious people to use against you. This can potentially ruin your entire life if you are not too careful with how you handle your tablet.
All that said, even being careful enough with the way you use your tablet isn’t enough because some viruses will still find a way to infect your device one way or another. This is why it is recommended that you use antivirus apps for your tablet similar to how your computer also needs protection from viruses. While the chances of your tablet getting infected might be rare, it can still happen. And once it happens, it might be game over for you.
However, it is best to use antivirus software that actually comes with a paid version because of how free versions don’t offer much protection at all. Go for the paid versions of popular names such as McAfee, AVG, Norton, Avast, and Kaspersky if you want to make sure that your tablet is well-protected.
