Even though I’m governed by the rule The best antivirus is “common sense”, I can understand why many users decide to install antivirus on their computers. Getting rid of the worry of visiting any web page or downloading a file can be very useful, but the constant alerts and notifications of false virus alarms can drive us crazy.
Nowadays, software companies often equip their antiviruses with other additional features such as VPNs, ad blockers, and other measures to ensure user security and privacy. Although it is hard to believe in such software, Can also be downloaded to televisions. But it is understandable that few people prefer to install antivirus on Smart TVs.
In this article, we explore the uses of antivirus on Smart TV and We explain why it’s not a good idea. We’re also exploring ways today’s Smart TVs should avoid malware and situations that are harmful to our systems.
If you’re looking for an antivirus for your Smart TV you’ll be disappointed
First of all, we can find antiviruses on equipment such as computers and mobile phones. But, Its use is not common on television. In fact, if we want to spend time finding one specifically for our television today, we may be disappointed because it is generally not common.
Image: ESET
The only one I would trust is Smart TV Security from ESET, which is already a well-established brand in the development of security solutions for computer equipment. By doing a simple search in the main app stores of each operating system on Smart TVs, The list has been practically reduced to this.
And you may wonder… Why can’t I install antivirus on the TV or is it too complicated nowadays? Because even if televisions are open to internet connection (which may be open to remote attacks), your operating system is closed enough Therefore, developing universal malware that can attack a sufficient number of devices is unattractive. We are not talking about Windows, which is a very common and used system, here; each Smart TV and model has its own features.
Manufacturers such as Samsung or LG have collaborated with companies such as McAfee to integrate antivirus into their operating systems. However, after a short time, the companies ended the support of this software on Smart TVs.
Antivirus is software that is almost always active in the background, and let’s not forget that. Smart TVs don’t have much RAM or storage, even today. However, if you still want to continue the installation, you should know that the antivirus on Smart TV will work a little easier than on computers.
Antivirus on smart TVs will analyze internal files in our storage, scan devices connected via USB and offer anti-phishing systems. But all Such measures are often included by default in television operating systems.Therefore, they have become unusable.
How can a smart TV get infected?
So… How can we protect ourselves from malware on smart TVs? Operating systems on televisions a set of integrated measures allows the user to be protected against certain malicious uses. Our television can get malware due to malicious codes we download from fake applications or untrustworthy sites. Therefore, although it is often unavoidable, downloading an APK to Android-based systems can harm your television if it contains malicious code in its files.
Although it is not a common occurrence, it is an extremely valid way for malware to spread on televisions. Moreover, Accessing unreliable websites from your Smart TV’s built-in browser It’s also another window into your TV getting malware.
Televisions with Android TV or Google TV have Google Play Protection to avoid malicious apps from the official Google app store; Therefore it is recommended always download apps via the store in question. Make sure you do this from reliable sources, in case it is inevitable for some apps not available in this store.
Image: Xataka Android
Another way malware proliferates on Android TV may come from the factory. A recent study revealed that the chipsets of millions of Android TV devices in China come with built-in malware to remotely monitor user activity. Only this way It is based on changing the hardware of the equipmentSomething that doesn’t even depend on us.
On other operating systems such as webOS or Tizen OS, The system is so closed that it is not an attractive target For cyber criminals and to inject malware. For this and other reasons, antiviruses have become anecdotal software featured on television.
Viruses on smart TVs aren’t common, but they’re not immune either
This does not mean that televisions are immune to cyber attacks. After all, these are internet-connected devices and Every computer connected to the network is vulnerable to cyber attacks.. But the most common is that cyber attacks on Smart TVs are targeted attacks, which tells us that there is no universal recipe for infecting a Smart TV.
Therefore, before looking for antivirus for your Smart TV, Make sure your USB drives do not contain malicious filesAlways try to install applications from reliable sources and do not share your passwords with anyone as they can be used to access your television settings.
In Xataka Smart Home | OLED Smart TVs have an unexpected advantage over LCDs: This is due to the self-emissive nature of their pixels.
Source: Xatak Android
Ben Stock is a hardware enthusiast and author at Div Bracket. He provides comprehensive coverage of the latest hardware advancements, offering readers a technical and in-depth look at the newest products and trends.