Best anti-virus

[bioforce]

That's a good point about Linux but I think your focus is a little narrower than mine. Yes Linux is less virus prone than Windows for several reasons. But I don't think the issue is solely about viruses or installing apps.

I think you can have your macnine attacked or your private info stolen without installing an app. That's why security suite software tries to filter for outside-in attacks, phishing attempts & known risky websites.

But back to the argument that you are safe if you simply scrutinize the permissions that apps are demanding...

Sure a wallpaper app shouldn't have access to your contacts, but an email-related app would. And some other app might logically request access to your file system, no?

In either case these could be bad apps that want to misuse your device or steal your data. And they could even be from big "trusted" companies... like Sony.

And finally, if you happen to have rooted your phone, doesn't that just decrease Linux's standard protection level.

All in all, it seems smart to have extra security layers, as long as they actually do something and don't overly tax the phone's performance capacity.

... which is what prompted the OP's question and my follow-up about the current crop of security software for android.

You destroy your argument with this post. In the case of your bad email app, none of the security software will help you. An AV app won't detect it because its not using a malicious code signature. Droidwall wouldn't help you because it needs to connect to the internet to work. On and on. So how is it acheiving anything?

 

[northbanker]

You destroy your argument with this post. In the case of your bad email app, none of the security software will help you. An AV app won't detect it because its not using a malicious code signature. Droidwall wouldn't help you because it needs to connect to the internet to work. On and on. So how is it acheiving anything?

Actually if my security software would warn me about a malicious app (or block it) then it wouldn't be installed on my phone in the first place. And I would look for another app. So risk averted.

Note: When I talk about security software I'm talking more broadly than just antivirus.

Anyway, thank you to the other responders who have constructively offered their hands-on opinions of Lookout, Webroot, etc.

 

[bioforce]

Actually if my security software would warn me about a malicious app (or block it) then it wouldn't be installed on my phone in the first place. And I would look for another app. So risk averted.

Note: When I talk about security software I'm talking more broadly than just antivirus.

Anyway, thank you to the other responders who have constructively offered their hands-on opinions of Lookout, Webroot, etc.

The overriding point is though, that if as an your example its a "legit" app your security software wouldn't know it was malicious, since there's nothing that would make it appear so. A few lines of innocent looking code and it copies all your email. It all comes down to if you trust the app or not. So its a false sense of security to believe you will be saved from anything. But, I will not keep beating a dead horse on this.

 

[northbanker]

The overriding point is though, that if as an your example its a "legit" app your security software wouldn't know it was malicious, since there's nothing that would make it appear so. A few lines of innocent looking code and it copies all your email. It all comes down to if you trust the app or not. So its a false sense of security to believe you will be saved from anything. But, I will not keep beating a dead horse on this.

I guess what I'm imagining is something like what Norton Internet Security for Windows does. It tells you if the file/app you just downloaded is "safe". It monitors all downloads, even if they come from a generally legit site, like an app store, or a corporate website.

I think the Norton module that does this is called Download Insight but I might be mistaken.

That said, I can't really say that I know how Symantec determines whether an app is "safe" and how much I can depend on their assessment. But I would hope that a known evil, dangerous app would show as "risk".

Anyway this is the kind of functionality that I'd like on my phone, assuming that its' limited performance resources can support it.

There's no way I'm going to have or take the time to be aware of every app's risk level, so I'm happy to pay someone like Symantec to track that for me.

 

[bigbabys]

The overriding point is though, that if as an your example its a "legit" app your security software wouldn't know it was malicious, since there's nothing that would make it appear so. A few lines of innocent looking code and it copies all your email. It all comes down to if you trust the app or not. So its a false sense of security to believe you will be saved from anything. But, I will not keep beating a dead horse on this.

I don't really believe in using AV in Android, but your point is still very wrong. At least in the sense of how an anti-virus works.

Anti-Virus software primarily works by checking files against a known definition file. So if "E-Mail App Virus" has been flagged by the community or the AV company, it will be on the list. So while to you it will appear to be a regular E-Mail client, it will be flagged on the list, and you will be notified.

To say that since the virus isn't doing anything suspicious means it won't be caught is just wrong. A better point is that the definitions lists of these current AV apps are not sufficient enough to catch most malware, and being cautious and reading app reviews is a much safter route to take.

 

[dylo22]

To say that since the virus isn't doing anything suspicious means it won't be caught is just wrong. A better point is that the definitions lists of these current AV apps are not sufficient enough to catch most malware, and being cautious and reading app reviews is a much safter route to take.

Or you can be cautious, read app reviews and use AV at the same time. That would be an even more safer route to take. Heck, you can take a step further and encrypt your file system/sd card to give your extra layer of security.

The point is, none of these security mechanism have to exist by itself. You can use them together to help protect your data.

BTW I'm not saying that AV is needed on android. I'm sure you can do just fine without it. But there's nothing wrong with using it either, as long as you use it correctly and understand its purpose.

 

[Frisco]

This thread is getting noisier and noisier, friends.

Please address the issues and discussion of "best anti-virus," and not one another.

 

[Catalyst2012]

Ah, the first post in the new year; I'll try not to be noisy. I'd rather have a free anti-virus/anti-malware app than not.

I prefer best-of-breed apps where possible. For anti-virus/Anti-malware only, I am considering Webroot, Zoner, or any other.

• Auto-scanning all files on download is desirable so I don't have to do it manually and it seems a challenge when downloading from the Android Market anyway.

• Auto scanning when executing is desirable.

• On-Demand scanning is desirable so I can run it when I deem necessary.

• Scheduled Scanning is not required.

I don't care if the app has anti-theft phone protection as I prefer to deal with that separately. Most importantly is the success rate/quality of the scanner, as non antivirus/anti-malware features alone don't protect against virus/malware.

Any links to recent reviews is greatly appreciated.

Thank you

 

[stitan]

avast is out for android, ive used it for years on my pc.
i haven't tried it out but it looks pretty good it has a lot of features even some root features.
https://market.android.com/details?id=com.avast.android.mobilesecurity&hl=en

[Review] Avast! Mobile Security For Android

 

[Catalyst2012]

avast is out for android, ive used it for years on my pc.
i haven't tried it out but it looks pretty good it has a lot of features even some root features.
https://market.android.com/details?id=com.avast.android.mobilesecurity&hl=en

[Review] Avast! Mobile Security For Android

Thanks stitan!

Avast looks good. On PC, I've gone back and forth between Avira and Avast, settling on Avira. Have you seen any comparison reviews of these? I can figure out the features just by installing them, but comparison reviews are something I'm not able to perform for obvious reasons .

This comparison from September 2011 claims all Android AV apps tested are about the same. There is a brief follow-up here. Avast was not included.

 

[stitan]

i haven't seen any comparisons yet i think avast mobile is to new, and yeah ive done the same thing going back and forth im sure avira will be soon to join the mobile market its definitely one of the best free av's you can get.

ill post back if i can find anything..

 

[rab1412000]

Avast for me free and full featured plus negligible battery drain.

 

[Andima]

Lookout is cool app, work silently without annoying.

 

[Beards]

If it's a free one you are looking for then I couldn't recommend Zoner Antivirus Free enough.
It's a stunning program that has looked after all my Android devices well.

There's a report at AV-Test.org worth reading.
It's a PDF file so make sure you have access.

 

[pixaro]

Avast is the best one. It is free too.

 

[Catalyst2012]

I just replaced Webroot with Avast.

Avast is new and has UI bugs.

Main screen: Yellow icon keeps saying "Outdated!" even after update message says "You have the latest version". It can't be both .

Firewall (rooted device).
When icons have orange overlay, does that mean connection is enabled or disabled??? I contacted Avast and told them: Color status needs to be CLEARLY described ON THE SCREEN.

The app says "Notification icon is important for the security of your device". Anyone know why? It can be turned off, would that mean we won't have security, or how much security?

 

[bigbabys]

Avast bought out theft-aware, and included the service in their app. Theft aware is the BEST stolen/lost phone location app I've seen to date. It uses ROOT to make itself invisible and unable to be deleted. IT EVEN SURVIVES A FACTORY RESET.

It also has some features I havn't seen in others such as having the phone stealthily call you so you can listen in on the thief and the ability to make it forward all your txt messages to a different number. A brilliant app, couldn't recommend it enough. I don't use the anti-virus part of it though. In fact I have that part uninstalled lol.