ELI5. Why can’t phones get viruses from websites that normal computers do? And why don’t computers use whatever technology the phones operating systems use?

Question

ELI5. Why can’t phones get viruses from websites that normal computers do? And why don’t computers use whatever technology the phones operating systems use?

In: Technology

Answer 1

You can, they’re just not as common.

Phones have more locked down program permissions, and apps come from restricted sources. That covers the very vast majority of casual security risks most people will encounter.

But there are *absolutely* means to infect a mobile device with a virus, they just take more effort on the part of the attacker.