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Best anti-virus

bigbabys said:
Does Seekdroid have a web interface with live google mapping of your phone and a button to make your phone emit a loud screech?
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- Locate your device
- Remotely Enable GPS
- Display its location on a map
- Audible alarm (even on silent) ***
w/ custom message ***
- Lock device w/ custom code
- Retrieve recent calls
- Remotely wipe entire phone
- Remotely wipe SD Card
- Hide from app drawer
- Disable App from being
uninstalled
- Virtually no battery drain
- Works without a SIM Card
- Reteive SIM ID, IMEI, and
active phone number


Yes - for 99 cents with no monthly fee.:D
 
AngryHatter said:
- Locate your device
- Remotely Enable GPS
- Display its location on a map
- Audible alarm (even on silent) ***
w/ custom message ***
- Lock device w/ custom code
- Retrieve recent calls
- Remotely wipe entire phone
- Remotely wipe SD Card
- Hide from app drawer
- Disable App from being
uninstalled
- Virtually no battery drain
- Works without a SIM Card
- Reteive SIM ID, IMEI, and
active phone number


Yes - for 99 cents with no monthly fee.:D
Click to expand...


Holy Damn! That sounds way better than lookout!!

But I think Lookout Plan B deserves a mention. It's a free app that can be installed AFTER you've already lost your phone. I'm gonna check out seekdroid now though :)
 
itsallgood said:
I came accross this today and thought I'd share.

Mobile Security -- What You Need to Know - YouTube


Scammers attacking Android phones - YouTube
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I stopped watching when I seen that a so called "antivirus" company was behind the results. Of course they are going to make Android look like a dangerous place where a virus is waiting around every corner; they make money by scaring people in to using their useless products. They preach about all of these viruses and malware applications, but I have yet to see any evidence that their "antivirus" has prevent any of them from being installed. Lookout doesn't work; you are delusional if you think otherwise.
 
drdoom said:
I stopped watching when I seen that a so called "antivirus" company was behind the results. Of course they are going to make Android look like a dangerous place where a virus is waiting around every corner; they make money by scaring people in to using their useless products. They preach about all of these viruses and malware applications, but I have yet to see any evidence that their "antivirus" has prevent any of them from being installed. Lookout doesn't work; you are delusional if you think otherwise.
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Happy Friday drdoom. With all do respect, the OP asked about the best AV apps, specifically Lookout, to which I use. If you choose not to use an AV app, for whatever reason, that is your right to do so. But don't mess it up for others that are really looking to use this product to protect themselves, with your opinion just because you haven't seen it happen yet. Just within this fourm, I have provided research to back up what I believe and said, with creditable resources, in hoping to help the OP with their decision. So please, be nice, we are all trying to help each other. Have a bless day.
 
NoNameFace said:
You are entitled to hold an uninformed opinion, but you are not entitled to make stuff up and call it a valid argument.
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Then inform me. Show me a single shred of evidence that Lookout has actually detected a virus/malware program that wasn't already removed by Google days earlier. Hell, show me evidence where Lookout has even detected a virus at all.
 
Quoting from the article:
"The risk to Android owners worldwide is believed to be low."

Amazing what reading the whole thing without cherrypicking the sensationalist title can do isn't it? This "virus" is the equivalent of being dumb enough to believe that Nigerian prince died and you received his inheritance of $20 million.
 
We should also read the second article. Just a thought, or perhaps you think this isn't a real threat...

"Security firm Kaspersky say the number of threats to smartphones has doubled in the past two years. It identified 2,564 identified threats in 2011, compared to 906 different viruses in 2009."

And...

"Anti-virus company McAfee has reported a 76 per cent surge in malware aimed directly at Google's Android systems."
 
I've read through a number of linked articles in this thread. It seems most of the articles use the word "virus" in the headline when it is not technically a virus. I question the credibility of the article when it starts calling every bit of malware a "virus" when clearly none of the malware that any of the articles mention are viruses. I feel these articles are misleading in making people think that their phone can get a virus like how they can get a virus on their computer.

I also question the credibility of the guy who was a no show to the presentation he organised. Although, I understand that you may not want to announce to the world how you can exploit security holes in systems, the article makes me wonder what he intends to do instead. Does he plan to just sit on the information and do nothing? Maybe if he said that he would reveal that information to Google or the app developer or anyone who has the ability to ensure the security vulnerabilities are fixed, I then believe he has found something. If he did feel it is such a serious vulnerability, perhaps he should have known then it was a bad idea to tell the world instead of right before he was to show up.

I'm not saying that security vulnerabilities cannot be exploited by malware. I believe that all devices that are pretty much complex computers from PC's to smartphones can be susceptible to malware. I just don't feel that at this time, AV software is going to significantly improve the security on my phone against malware based on my current understanding of Android phones.
 
Look at your sources: Kaspersky and McAfee; both are antivirus companies that profit from the use of their products. For all you know, they could be counting applications that shut the phone down or cause it to force close as "threats." They make money off people buying their products, of course they are going to scare people into using them.
 
This has become a big debate over this. I think we can all agree that most smartphones are miniature computers, that we all carry in our pockets. We do a lot of, if not more, personal stuff on our cell phones then personal computers. Just like desktop computers have and need firewalls and AV software, smartphones are no exception. The percentage is very small, as to how many people might get a virus, malware or spyware. But, just like those of us that on a vehicle and pay for vehicle insurance that we most likely will never use, but paying a premium either every month or year, we have it just in case. If I was a criminal, if I was, I would target smartphones without second thought. People put a lot of personal data on there phones. Pay for things using their credit cards. Check bank statements. Deposit checks. Save passwords, etc. As consumers, we have to be a step ahead of the criminal, in this game.

As of right now, we don't have a lot of proof that any of the AV apps work as fare as fare as catching a virus, malware or spyware. Except that nobody with an AV installed on their phone, has reported that their phone has been infected. Are these companies trying to promote their products, well sure. But, I would believe them as to the amount of threats out their, before I believe someone that doesn't even work in this field, and are just giving an opinion.
 
jtcady said:
Well considering there is no Android virus, none.
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http://http://thetechjournal.com/electronics/mobile/android-phones-are-infected-by-trojan-virus.xhtml
Android Gets Its First Ever Virus--You're a Mandroid, My Son (Updated) | Fast Company

Actually it has been reported over a year ago that there have been viruses for Android. Back then they got on to your phone through the blue tooth being left on. Not sure how it would be today.
While Android is Linux and Linux if more secure than windows, any os written is man made and their for is not in foul-able. Even Mac and the I-OS as secure as those are there have been two potential viruses found. Neither have been found in the wild but the potential for the exploits are there.
As much as I like Android, I-OS I believe is BSD based which would make it a bit more secure than Linux.
Any which way. The potential for viruses are always there weather there are any out or not. I use AVG on my phone and PCs because they are a good AVProvider. As long as I have used AVG on my windows PCs it has kept them clean except once I think I got hit with something that was very new and AVG did not have it in their Virus Definitions.
 
itsallgood said:
Belive what you will, but the threats are real. I have provided you with articles to back up what I have said. Here are a few more per your request.

1) Android hit by rogue app viruses | Mail Online

2) Why Android Viruses Are Growing, and How To Stop Them | TechnoBuffalo

3) Lookout Mobile Security Mobile Threat Report

4) Android Phones are Infected by Trojan virus | TheTechJournal.com
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Well done for posting these articles, it is about time people treat their smartphones as they treat their computers, period. One more "hint" below for the sceptical

Is your smartphone under threat from hackers? - Channel 4 News
 
I couldn't watch all of that channel 4 video, I got to the bit where he received an email from a "hacker" and had to turn off. :p

"Anti-Virus" software on Android isn't really necessary, the best way to be safe is by being careful of what you install, only installing from trusted sources and checking the permissions of apps before you install. It's also not advisable to go clicking links in emails where you can't be sure who sent it to you (the same as with a PC, which is why that channel 4 thing got on my nerves). There's an excellent post by alostpacket here: http://androidforums.com/android-ap...ps-avoid-viruses-guide-those-new-android.html

That details the kind of thing you need to look out for when installing apps and what all the permissions mean. It's a bit of a read, but worth it if you're worried about protecting yourself.

All that being said, Lookout is a good app, it will check permissions for you and highlight anything which looks untoward. I've installed it based on the phone finder though.
 
I haven't installed lookout, or any anti-malware software, in a long time. In part to alostpacket's thread. Another part was that it served no purpose. After using it for 6 months, all the apps I installed checked out. So either: 1) I use good sense when choosing apps or 2) Lookout can't actually detect malware. Either way, I couldn't justify having it on my phone.

I did some research on the "malware" that people talk about. Those "viruses" are usually misnomers. They usually are root exploits packaged into a copy of a popular app that install a back door app. Usually the "rage against the cage" exploit technique that was fixed in Android 2.2 Froyo. Seeing how a large number of Android devices are still 2.1 or earlier, yes, they pose a threat to all of the cheap android phones. There are only a handful of generic Android exploits. Most manufacturers have also resolved them.

So, if you don't root, you just need to watch the permissions granted (like there's no reason why a live wallpaper should be able to read your contacts, phone state, and connect to the internet). Root users have to be a bit more careful, but we have tools like DroidWall that helps us.
 
drdoom said:
Then inform me. Show me a single shred of evidence that Lookout has actually detected a virus/malware program that wasn't already removed by Google days earlier. Hell, show me evidence where Lookout has even detected a virus at all.
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No, that's not how it works. You are the one claiming that it doesn't work. You provide the proof.
 
NoNameFace said:
No, that's not how it works. You are the one claiming that it doesn't work. You provide the proof.
Click to expand...

Proof of what? Proof that lookout has never detected a virus? You can't prove that it hasn't done something. That fact that no one can provide evidence that is has is proof.
 
androidfonefan said:
I-OS I believe is BSD based
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I-OS is Mac OS X based. BSD is based on the original Unix by AT&T.


DragonJTS said:
Proof of what? Proof that lookout has never detected a virus? You can't prove that it hasn't done something. That fact that no one can provide evidence that is has is proof.
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I'm neutral here. What I see is that Drdoom came here and claimed that something does not work, and expect those reading his post to be persuaded by merely his word. As a neutral party, I am asking him to back up those claims with irrefutable proof.

Edit: Had to edit.. you and the person I replied to originally are not one in the same. ;)
 
NoNameFace said:
I'm neutral here. What I see is that Drdoom came here and claimed that something does not work, and expect those reading his post to be persuaded by merely his word. As a neutral party, I am asking him to back up those claims with irrefutable proof.
Click to expand...

I would generally expect that the burden of proof lies with the one claiming something DOES work or exist.
 
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