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Loading...The key fact you need to know about virus protection for Android is that you need it. Even if the device itself is worth next to nothing, it has a connection with you and that connection has value. In short, investing in virus protection for Android devices is, essentially, investing in security protection for yourself and all the peace of mind that brings. If you need any more convincing, here are five important facts about virus protection for Android devices.
Android is open-source code
Although Android is associated with Google, it’s essentially a public resource. The upside of this is that it means both companies and private individuals can adapt the basic code to suit their particular needs and wants. That’s essentially why different manufacturers can use the same version of Android but have it look and act differently (albeit usually in subtle ways). The downside of this, however, is that it makes life easier for people who want to find weaknesses they can exploit.
The popularity of Android creates a huge potential payoff for malware creators
While it may be hard to get exact statistics on this, it’s impossible to dispute the fact that there are far more Android devices in active use than there are iOS devices in active use. This benefit of this is that it encourages legitimate app developers to create products for the Android ecosystem. The drawback of this is that it creates the potential for a huge payoff for malware creators.
Google is still getting to grips with security on its Play store
In the early days of Android, Google took a very “light-touch” approach to regulating what apps could and could not appear on its Play store. This encouraged legitimate developers to create content for the platform, but it also made life easier for bad-faith actors and as a result the Google Play store has become notorious for the number of malicious apps to be found there.
In fact, according to Google’s own Android Security & Privacy review, the number of malicious apps found in 2018 was double that than for 2017, although the company believes that a substantial part of this increase is due to the fact that its definition of malware now includes “click-fraud apps” (more commonly known as adware). While this may be true, it is not necessarily a great positive, since it would imply that the figures for the previous year should have been higher (and presumably the same would apply to the years before that).
Google is now becoming noticeably stricter about what is and is not permitted on its app store. In particular, it has clamped down on SMS and Call Log permissions and it appears to be doing its best to verify the credentials of new developers and to identify when developers who’ve been banned open new accounts and start all over again.
In short, Google is certainly upping its security game, at least as far as the Play store is concerned, but the reality is that no environment can ever be 100% secure (contrary to what is sometimes believed iOS devices also need antivirus protection), hence the need for people to protect their mobile devices with appropriate security software.
There is nothing Google can do about apps which are not on its Play store
Google can police its own app store but there is absolutely nothing it can do to police apps which do not go onto its store. In principle, device users can normally activate a setting to stop their device installing apps from any other source. In practice, this safeguard can be easily removed by anyone who can access the device’s settings. In fact, it can even be deactivated by the device’s owner, either accidentally or so that they can install an app which is not available on the app store.
The cost of getting a virus on an Android device can be far more than the cost of the device
If you install malware on your device then the best you can hope for is that it only damages the device and, if your luck’s in, that damage may be repairable. Quite bluntly, however, that is a best-case scenario. An alternative (and very possible) scenario is that it winds up costing you a lot of money. For example, if you fall victim to a modernized version of an old-school scam and wind up having your phone used to call a premium-rate number, then the only limit to the damage will be your calling credit and or your network’s vigilance. If an attacker succeeds in compromising your personal data, then you could not only be looking at a lot of money, but also at a lot of inconvenience.
Comodo antivirus for Android offers great protection for a great price
Comodo antivirus for Android not only protects your device against viruses and other malware, it backs up your key information and even helps deter thieves, all without slowing down your phone. Head on over to Comodo to buy it now.
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