anti-virus/maleware apps a waste or not??

[Robert7107]

Are they worth the time,space and money? I am very carefully what I download but always good to have extra protection if its worth it!!! So are they worth it or not????

 

[Unforgiven]

Are they worth the time,space and money? I am very carefully what I download but always good to have extra protection if its worth it!!! So are they worth it or not????

I'm not sure if they are necessary.

I downloaded the free Avast and I haven't seen it using a ton of processor or battery, so I have let it hang around. The only time a notice it is when it says "scanning application" anytime I install anything. Since Avast is a known player in the field, I at least know they will play nice.

 

[Crashdamage]

Absolutely worthless.

 

[Unforgiven]

Absolutely worthless.

As I said, I'm not sure is it helps or not. But it is not hurting right now so I have left it there.

 

[Yeahha]

Are they worth the time,space and money? I am very carefully what I download but always good to have extra protection if its worth it!!! So are they worth it or not????

This question is brought up quite a bit. Mostly because we are used to a world where AV software is needed. Android is based on Linux and devs have to declare permissions on apps so the user (you) knows what the app has access to. IMO there is no need for any AV app on your phone. The best defense against malware is an educated user

I suggest checking out this thread http://androidforums.com/android-ap...explained-security-tips-avoiding-malware.html Well the first post at least to learn a little more about permission and what they mean. Then you can guard yourself. Does a wallpaper app need access to your text messages? No but a texting app does.

What AV apps on android do really (at least from the malware side) scan apps to see if they have been blacklisted if they have they will alert the user. Usually these apps have been removed from the market and you would need to install them as unknown source apps, so paying attention to what you are installing and only installing from known and safe sources works better than any AV app.

That being said there are features on some security apps like "find my phone" that may be useful if you lose your phone which some people will choose to use the apps for.

 

[Unforgiven]

I'm not advocating antivirus, I was just telling my story. I actually saw a post on Droid-Life that google has been actively scanning the market for malware including looking for apps from different developers that look the same. I'm not saying the posters are wrong when they say its worthless. I'm just saying that it hasn't been a resource hog do I have let it stick around.

Edit: and yeahha is absolutely correct, paying attention to app permissions is 99% if the battle

 

[AndroidSPCS]

I personally do not use one. It hogs resources and hurts battery life. I am very careful to only use apps that are well known, have a large amount of users, and are proven.

 

[pool_shark]

I don't understand why people say AV software are resource hogs.
They only run when scheduled, run manually, or when you install an app.
Aside from that they sit idle like all the other apps you have running.

I've had them installed and ru the top command and it showed the AV app at the bottom of the list with regard to CPU utilization.

 

[SamuraiBigEd]

Since I now have the plankton malware I am going to say yes!

I have Eset on my phone but have it set to manual scans and I got lazy, live and learn.

 

[UssjTrunks]

They will catch malware as these reviews show:

Android Security Test Part 1 - YouTube

I have AVG installed on my phone. It hardly uses any resources and accounts for less than 1% of battery usage. I'm a careful user, but I like to have the peace of mind.

 

[Adauth]

Lookout is all I have ever used and I haven't had a single problem yet. I am talking for the past several years, not just a few weeks.

 

[Crashdamage]

They will catch malware as these reviews show:

Android Security Test Part 1 - YouTube

I have AVG installed on my phone. It hardly uses any resources and accounts for less than 1% of battery usage. I'm a careful user, but I like to have the peace of mind.

I admit I didn't watch the whole 1/2 hour video, didn't have the patience, but seems mostly he was demonstrating detection of known malware.

So what? Known malware is not a problem, it's already been removed from the market. UNknown malware is where the risk is and there is no protection against that offered by these security programs.

I have no Bit Defender etc. installed and have complete peace of mind. I'm simply careful what I install and where I get it from.

 

[dylo22]

What AV apps on android do really (at least from the malware side) scan apps to see if they have been blacklisted if they have they will alert the user. Usually these apps have been removed from the market and you would need to install them as unknown source apps, so paying attention to what you are installing and only installing from known and safe sources works better than any AV app.

They do more than that. Most AVs scan for malware based on signatures. It doesn't matter if they are blacklisted apps or not, if the binary or file matches a signature, the AV will (should) flag it.

So what? Known malware is not a problem, it's already been removed from the market. UNknown malware is where the risk is and there is no protection against that offered by these security programs.

I have no Bit Defender etc. installed and have complete peace of mind. I'm simply careful what I install and where I get it from.

Removing an app from the market only removes the app. That doesn't mean the malware cease to exist. Some one else can always repackage another app with the same malware/exploit.

Are they worth the time,space and money? I am very carefully what I download but always good to have extra protection if its worth it!!! So are they worth it or not????

I wouldn't pay big money for it. But if it is free (or fairly cheap), produced by a reputable company and it doesn't affect how your phone performs, then I say it is worth it. It will give you an extra level of protection.

Now, that doesn't mean you throw caution to the wind and stop checking permissions, reading comments etc.... You should do that regardless of what security mechanisms you use. The AVs is there to serve as your backup, not an end all and be all type of defense.