[GUIDE] FAQ on viruses, malware & browser security

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AV-Test is a leading player in the independent analysis of IT security & regularly quoted in magazines and websites. To quote the AV-Test website...

The AV-TEST Institute is a leading international and independent service provider in the fields of IT security and anti-virus research.

The aim of the research work carried out by AV-TEST is to directly detect the latest malware, to analyse it using state-of-the-art methods and to inform our customers of the top-quality results obtained.

At our German laboratories in Magdeburg and Leipzig our team of 30 IT specialists boasting many years of expertise take a practical approach to the development of innovative analysis mechanisms and the application of high-quality test procedures. In order to achieve these objectives, AV-TEST provides optimal working conditions and development opportunities. After all, IT security is one of the key factors in the modern business and corporate world!

AV-Test carry out regular reviews in this field and earlier this year awarded one Android Security App full marks & a 100% rating in their testing.

That app was TrustGo, which can be found on the Play Store - given the success & features of the app it is worth noting that it is FREE.

You can read their report here - AV-TEST - The Independent IT-Security Institute: Android and also download a copy of a PDF version of that report if it interests you.

The top four apps were...
1 TrustGo
2 Lookout
3=Symantec
3=Trend Micro

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Source: Maximum PC - August 26/2013

http://n360.to/180EeON

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You can read their report here - AV-TEST - The Independent IT-Security Institute: Android and also download a copy of a PDF version of that report if it interests you.

The top four apps were...
1 TrustGo
2 Lookout
3=Symantec
3=Trend Micro

Those were the January 2013 results. The July results seem somewhat different.

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Those were the January 2013 results. The July results seem somewhat different.

Knowing that AV-Test perform regular updates to their testing reports is a very useful and worth baring in mind when selecting a security app for your device.

Thank you - "LikesCookies" - that's very helpful

[Brett928S2]

Hi All

Interesting thread..I read it all

Most days I spend in my Computer shops fixing viruses on Pcs...

I am fairly new to Android so can only give a little general Virus/Spyware/Malware advice...

My first advice is this...when protecting ANY device PC or Android ...you get what you PAY for.....

The number of people who come into my shops and say "I have a Virus" but my FREE antivirus has protected me for years is amazing.....i have to gently explain that the law of averages protected them....NOT their free av... the most famous of the Free av`s ....we call the "3 A`s" ( in the virus fixing business....)

I wont name them as all three are fairly obvious.....but they are all total rubbish....we make a LOT of money removing viruses that THEY let in and missed....

My own recommendation for Pcs or Android is Norton....

On Android it INCLUDES its own installer, which installs the downloaded .APK file for you and it SCANS IT FIRST..... and offers you various options if it finds anything bad...

So my advice for PC`s is NORTON iNTERNET SECURITY 2014 and for any Android device is NORTON MOBILE SECURITY (which can go on as many Android devices as you own...I have it on my TF300T and a couple of HTC phones as well... it also does tracking if phone or tablet stolen, remote wipe, remote scream etc etc , oh and includes a contacts backup to Nortons Cloud....

Not cheap but well worth it for peace of mind...... you have to buy it online (before anyone thinks I am trying to sell it to them from my shops...lol we dont sell the mobile version)

As always, all the above is my opinion only.....but worth remembering that I do fix viruses/spyware/malware EVERY single day......

All the best Brett

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Clearly this can become a "religious" debate, but my 39 years of experience with AV programs teaches me to never let any Symantec product near my computers, particularly those with the "Norton" brand. Moreover, independent AV review services show the freeware Avast to be quite good.

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Update on effective security apps:

Which Android security apps are the most effective? | Mobile - CNET News

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Leave it up to the folks at Google to take Android to the next level for reliability and security. Google just announced their plans to extend their security services beyond Google Play and create a system for real-time continuous malware monitoring for Android. They will be evolving their "verify apps" service to take on the worthy task of finding and eliminating malware before you ever have to worry about it. Here's a quote from the Google blog with more of the details,

Think about the ways your home is kept secure. You rely on structural security features—secure locks, a rock-hard foundation, strong windows and doors. You might also have an alarm or video camera to give you an extra layer of security, with a support team behind those tools making them more powerful, all but invisible until the moment you need them.

We have a similar approach to how we deliver security improvements in Android. As part of Android’s foundation, we built safeguards like application sandboxing, which confines apps, minimizing their ability to damage other parts of your phone. But just like your home, Google offers a built-in “service layer” (kind of like the phone equivalent of that alarm service for your home) to most every Android phone and tablet that’s constantly being strengthened, and it’s included for free. We’re adding to that service layer, further fortifying your Android phone or tablet.

Verify apps: now protecting you continually
Building on Verify apps, which already protects people when they’re installing apps outside of Google Play at the time of installation, we’re rolling out a new enhancement which will now continually check devices to make sure that all apps are behaving in a safe manner, even after installation. In the last year, the foundation of this service—Verify apps—has been used more than 4 billion times to check apps at the time of install. This enhancement will take that protection even further, using Android’s powerful app scanning system developed by the Android security and Safe Browsing teams.

Because potentially harmful applications are very rare, most people will never see a warning or any other indication that they have this additional layer of protection. But we do expect a small number of people to see warnings (which look similar to the existing Verify apps warnings) as a result of this new capability. The good news is that very few people have ever encountered this; in fact, we’ve found that fewer than 0.18% of installs in the last year occurred after someone received a warning that the app was potentially harmful.

Even though the risk is miniscule, we’re committed to making sure that the best available security protections are available to all Android users. This includes service-based protections such as Verify apps, as well as security features within the platform itself.

Source: TransformerForums News Item by dgstorm

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For information.

This has recently appeared on the BBC Technology page and maybe of interest.

BBC News - Android Fake ID bug exposes smartphones and tablets