Android Tablet Update

Are anti-virus apps necessary for Android users? Hiroshi Lockheimer, VP of Android Engineering, recently said, “I don’t think so. That’s obviously an individual choice, but I haven’t felt the need for it. Let’s put it this way, I don’t run those apps.”

How does your malware protection app rank?

Security institute AV-Test sees it differently. They claim that Google’s Bouncer technology only checks apps for malware during the time of publication in Android Market, so apps that download their malicious code after installation can’t easily be detected.

AV-Test recently inspected 41 different malware detection apps for Android to see how they performed. They found that seven apps produced average family detection results above 90%. These apps include Avast, Dr. Web, F-Secure, Ikarus, Kaspersky, Lookout, and Zoner. AV-Test says, “Using these products you don’t have to worry about your malware protection.”

They go on to note that even if a product scores poorly in malware detection it may have other convenient features, such as remote lock and wipe, backup and phone locating, that make it useful for your purposes.

But that begs the question. Why would you want a security app with poor malware detection, when there are several good ones to choose from.

Some security apps were not too happy with the results. AV-Test updated their report to note that MyMobileSecurity, NQ Mobile, Total Defense all said the testing methods were considered imprecise or flawed. All those apps were listed in the bottom half of the report, so it’s easy to see why they might have a problem with the results.

When it comes to my mobile security app of choice, I trust Lookout. I never run anti-virus software on my PC, but I choose to use it on my phone for the piece of mind and phone location feature. It doesn’t affect my battery life or performance, so I always have it installed on all of my devices. I also appreciate the Lookout Blog that seeks to inform its users rather than play on their fears.

Let us know what you think of AV-Test’s report. Does it have any influence over what security app you might use?

After coming out of Beta toward the end of December, avast! Free Mobile Security has gained much attention. These guys are offering everything the other anti-virus/security apps bring to the table and then some. Complete with root features (yes, you heard that right), this is the fullest security app we have ever used. All for a price everyone can afford – free.

We’ve recently been talking about the idea of anti-virus apps in the Android ecosystem. A Googler has even gone into detail, mentioning that “virus companies are playing on your fears to try to sell you BS protection software for Android, RIM and iOS.” He then goes on to call them charlatans and scammers.

There are two main types of dangers, though: malware/phishing (rare, but possible) and physically loosing your device. Android holds a huge market and may become a main target soon. This is why Windows users are at more danger than other PC operating systems.

Owning an Android smartphone comes with great responsibilities. These gadgets are not only nice and expensive, but their value extends to its power. These are very powerful devices and usually hold information that should not fall into the wrong hands, whether it be physically or virtually. One of the apps that best protects you happens to be avast! Mobile Security, so let’s take a look at its features.

Virus Protection

While not the most exciting (because all other competing apps offer it), this is the main function of the avast! app. There are certain apps or files that will put your device and private information at risk. There are many who believe smart app-shopping can get rid of such worries.

It is definitely good to read app reviews, stick to official app stores (avoid piracy), revise the permissions and make sure you do not download a “fake” app. These practices will put you in a safe position, but many users are not always that attentive. Even if they are, there’s always a small risk.

A bit of extra protection has never harmed anyone (and it isn’t really a battery hog). Avast! Mobile Security will spot any app or file that is potentially dangerous. This app allows you to run full scans on both your phone and your microSD card. If it happens to find a dangerous app/file, a notification will alert you and give you the option to delete it.

It is also important to note that avast! is very proud of its virus protection software. They attest to the fact that this is no simple black-list virus protection. Avast! looks into every file and app, searching deep into its backbone for any dangerous coding.

The avast! software also checks every app that is installed on your device, informing you if it is secure before you ever use it. This happens right at the moment of installation (just like Lookout and some other competitors). I have never ran into any virus/malware on my device, but we saw a good demonstration straight from the avast! team. It works as advertised.

Privacy Advisor

This is a very simple and straight-forward feature and can also be very helpful. Privacy Advisor looks into each app, letting you know which have access to potentially dangerous permissions. It organizes them by permission category.

After accessing the Privacy Advisor window, there will be a list of permissions with a number right next to it. This indicates how many apps have access to the given permission. This includes apps that have access to your location, phone identity info, contacts, etc.

After tapping on a permission, it will display all the apps that have access to it. You can see more details by tapping on specific apps. You can access the system info, force close it, and read what each permission allows the application to do. It’s simple and organized and may help you spot which apps have access to things that they probably should not.

Android smartphones are indeed powerful devices. Owning one can also mandate many responsibilities. We tend to have our whole lives linked to these gadgets: bank accounts, email accounts (work and personal), social networks, Paypal, contacts, and the list goes on. The avast! app has been available in Beta for a while, but it’s now fully available and completely free.

We have recently touched on the idea that Android devices are not really in need of anti-virus applications. A Google employee mentioned that companies making these apps are “playing on your fears to try to sell you BS protection software for Android, RIM and iOS.” While the risk of viruses may not be as huge as it is for computers, there is still a small risk if you aren’t careful.

Android continues to grow, with 700 thousand activations a day, and is becoming one of the largest targets for the “bad guys.” This small risk might be becoming a big one soon enough. The guys from avast! do realize that mobile security is not solely focused on virus and malware, though. Android security is about many other things, like anti-theft (made possible by the acquisition of Theft-Aware) and parental controls, among other features.

I had the chance to attend a presentation held by avast! last week. I must say that I was much more impressed than I thought I would be. The Czech company has gone out of its way to cover every type of security issue that an Android device could have. It’s definitely one of the fullest security apps we’ve seen.

Some of the best features include anti-virus protection, privacy report (lets you know how many/which apps access your application permissions), browser protection, call and SMS filtering, and anti-theft solutions (including remote text commands, tracking, as well as locking and wiping). It even includes an app manager and, check this, root features.

Root features include a Firewall, which allows you to block any app of your choice. You can even install avast! software deep within your device’s guts. If you so choose, you can install the avast! software in the System files, which would allow you to keep tracking your device, even after a factory data reset. Impressive, right?

This should bring some good competition to current Android anti-virus solutions in the market. With more features than the competition for a much better price (free), you can’t go wrong. Check the comparison posted below to see how avast! is different in features and pricing:

When a smartphone is stolen, the owner’s number one desire is to get their device back intact and, secondly, to secure their private data. We’ve developed our avast! Free Mobile Security with these needs in mind – and at a price everyone can afford.Ondrej VlcekCTO of AVAST Software

Theft Aware is currently transferring their web remote features to work on its new mobile anti-virus app. So this part of the app is not quite ready yet. avast! assures us that it will be available during Q1 2012, though. So you won’t have to wait very long.

There’s much more to say about avast! Mobile Security, so expect a full review soon. If you want to go ahead and check out this software before we post our review, go ahead and download it. It doesn’t cost a penny to try it, and it’s definitely worth it.

avast! Mobile Security AVAST Software MARKET QR

Let us know what you think. If you have any questions or complaints, let us know, and we will contact the avast! team and cover everything we can in the full review.