The Android mobile operating system the most vulnerable from a security standpoint. We look at 5 essential security apps.
Android’s growing popularity and the the open nature of the operating system has made this smartphone platform the most vulnerable from a security standpoint. If you re carrying an Android phone or are eyeing the purchase of one, this Datamation article, by Joseph Moran, offers details on a dozen Android apps that will provide protection against malware, loss or theft of your phone, and other security-oriented features such as secure password management and data encryption.
Android Security Apps for Antivirus and Loss Protection
1. Lookout Mobile Security
For the low price of free, Lookout Mobile Security provides virus/malware scanning, backup of your contacts, and the ability to remotely locate a missing phone and activate an audible alarm on it; even if the phone s set to silent mode.
2. AVG Mobilation Antivirus Free
Aside from comprehensive antivirus scanning (of apps, websites, e-mail, SMS content, and media files)AVG Mobilation Antivirus Free (formerly known as DroidSecurity) checks your device for potentially insecure settings (such as allowing the download of apps from unknown sources) and backs up various kinds of phone data, such as contacts, call logs, bookmarks, and text messages. It also provides remote location/lock/and wipe capabilities at no charge, along with the ability to display a custom message on your errant phone s screen.
3.Webroot Mobile Security Basic
Webroot Mobile Security Basic, the company s free offering, delivers a decent set of security features, including antivirus scanning, device locate and lock, and call and SMS blocking. For $14.99, the app drops the Basic moniker and adds remote device wipe, a Settings Audit that checks your device for configuration vulnerabilities, and App Inspector that lets you know what data and phone features your apps have the ability to access.
Android Security Apps for Passwords and Encryption
4. LastPas
For a buck a month (or more specifically, an $12 annual subscription) LastPass is hard to beat. It stores your website credentials securely online, logs you into sites automatically, and lets you also access your centralized login info using virtually any other desktop, browser, or mobile platform known to humankind thanks to an wide range of LastPass versions and plug-ins. LastPass also offers an extension that works with Android s Dolphin Browser HD.
5. WhisperCore
It s not quite ready for prime time, but Whisper Systems WhisperCore, currently in early beta is worth watching, as it provides full-disk encryption (as opposed to encrypting only selected types of data) for Android devices and installed SD cards, too. Currently, the beta only works with Google s own Nexus S and Nexus One, but support for other devices is planned. Chromebooks won’t be used by most Google employees. They need “real” computers to build the world’s most successful search engine and all the other products and services Google builds. Google’s work is too important for Chromebooks.
Read the complete article: The Essential Android Security App Buyer s Guide
Recommended Reading:
- Android Codenames: A snapshot of the Android updates
- Ice Cream Sandwich – Android Codename
- What is endpoint security?
This article was originally published on August 17, 2011
