[Satellite John]

I just bought a Moto G, really pleased with it. But I am wondering - does it (and other Android phones) need antivirus software? Or if I keep all the software up to date (which I have done) is antivirus not needed?
If antivirus is needed, I was thinking of Kaspersky - any good?
Many thanks for any replies.

[jra]

Avast do a free one for Android phones.

http://www.avast.com/en-gb/free-mobile-security

[MGS4SnakeRulez]

I used AVG free for a while but then deleted it. Never had a problem without one.

[oilman]

By and large viruses on a PC attack the (software based) operating system and cause often nasty things to happen. Recovering from a virus attack can be quite difficult, and time consuming,

It is much harder to attached a (mostly) hardware based operating system. You can attack the applications, but that is fairly difficult to do as so many of them. Recovering is much easier as well i.e. just delete app and reinstall (or worst case reset device back to its virgin state) Of course regular backup of important data is always a good plan (and easy to do with cloud),

I would search web for android AV reviews and that might help you decide what is right for you.

[qasdfdsaq]

It sounds like you're saying the difference between a PC and a phone is the OS is "software" on the PC and "hardware" on the phone - which is complete nonsense.

I do see what you're getting at though, and it would be perhaps more accurate to say phones have a "firmware" or ROM based operating system. Admittedly none if it is actually on physical ROM but all of it is mounted read-only at runtime and without modifications to (or exploits of) the kernel nothing can write to it.

In truth much of it really boils down to the OS architecture more than anything - Android can be rooted and the system/OS partition can be mounted read-write. But the OS is built around the opposite security model to Windows. On Windows applications run in an open environment by default and can do anything that you haven't explicitly restricted. On Android applications all run in a sandboxed environment and don't get any permissions unless you allow them.

[late8]

I use Avira because it has the highest detection rates.

It has warned me of a app install from the app store that was dodgy last week.

[xreyuk123]

Why don't Google just do a better job of screening apps before they hit the store?

Apple are pretty vigorous in their checks.

[Mark in Essex]

Quote:

Originally Posted by xreyuk123

Why don't Google just do a better job of screening apps before they hit the store?

Apple are pretty vigorous in their checks.

Isn't it just software installed outside the Google Play store that has issues (from dodgy sources)?

[DarthFader]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mark in Essex

Isn't it just software installed outside the Google Play store that has issues (from dodgy sources)?

I thought Apple screen apps proactively but Google act reactively

http://m.digitalspy.co.uk/tech/news/a563209/bogus-anti-virus-app-fools-android-users-tops-google-play-chart.html#~oC4Dqlj7TfqeGw

[finbaar]

No,if you only get apps from Google Play then there is no need.

[Stiggles]

Quote:

Originally Posted by xreyuk123

Why don't Google just do a better job of screening apps before they hit the store?

Apple are pretty vigorous in their checks.

They may be, but it doesn't stop some nasties slipping through.

There is no need for AV on a phone. Get the apps from the right place and you will be fine.

[jchamier]

Quote:

Originally Posted by finbaar

No,if you only get apps from Google Play then there is no need.

Not true. Sadly Google Play has and will again contain malware, until Google are notified and remove it. Most corporates that allow Android devices on their networks require antivirus software to ensure corporate data is not stolen by malware.

[finbaar]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jchamier

Not true. Sadly Google Play has and will again contain malware, until Google are notified and remove it. Most corporates that allow Android devices on their networks require antivirus software to ensure corporate data is not stolen by malware.

Yes true. The question was do you need an anti virus. And no you don't. And why are you bringing in the extra arrangements required by commercial organisations ? Yes all app stores can have the occasional dodgy app but Google's big advantage now I that they continuously monitor apps for bad behaviour.

[jchamier]

Quote:

Originally Posted by finbaar

Yes true. The question was do you need an anti virus. And no you don't. And why are you bringing in the extra arrangements required by commercial organisations ? Yes all app stores can have the occasional dodgy app but Google's big advantage now I that they continuously monitor apps for bad behaviour.

Google only just started (Apple and Microsoft started screening apps from day 1 of their app stores). Not all handsets can get the update to the Play Services engine that gives the fee Google powered anti-malware engine.

So unless you're the sort of person who doesn't bother with apps, I'd always get a free AV/security tool for any Android.

[oilman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by qasdfdsaq

It sounds like you're saying the difference between a PC and a phone is the OS is "software" on the PC and "hardware" on the phone - which is complete nonsense.

I do see what you're getting at though, and it would be perhaps more accurate to say phones have a "firmware" or ROM based operating system. Admittedly none if it is actually on physical ROM but all of it is mounted read-only at runtime and without modifications to (or exploits of) the kernel nothing can write to it.

In truth much of it really boils down to the OS architecture more than anything - Android can be rooted and the system/OS partition can be mounted read-write. But the OS is built around the opposite security model to Windows. On Windows applications run in an open environment by default and can do anything that you haven't explicitly restricted. On Android applications all run in a sandboxed environment and don't get any permissions unless you allow them.

Yeah I agree, I wasn't being that precise. Firmware is a more accurate term. The basic point is it is much harder to infect an android, and much easier to recover,

[clitheroe1]

Isn't there also a potential risk from viruses from malicious spam email? Although most of these will target computer software, as a growing number of people access their email on their phones, surely there is at least a theoretical risk of getting a virus this way.

[finbaar]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jchamier

Google only just started (Apple and Microsoft started screening apps from day 1 of their app stores). Not all handsets can get the update to the Play Services engine that gives the fee Google powered anti-malware engine.

So unless you're the sort of person who doesn't bother with apps, I'd always get a free AV/security tool for any Android.

I will say it one more time. You do not need anti virus on an Android device that gets its apps from the Play Store. You are wasting your time with AV free.

[jonmorris]

An antivirus app is merely something to slow your phone down by doing scans (and when doing so, consume more CPU power which drains your battery), and giving warnings that aren't problems at all - just to convince you that it's doing its job.

Just use common sense, and remember that most apps can only read/write to their own folder so do very limited damage. Since 4.4, Google has restricted all non-system apps to stop them writing/editing/deleting files to the memory card (again, besides their own folders). This is actually damn annoying as it renders file managers useless, but it does increase security immensely.

Obviously a rooted device would allow apps to do what they liked, but how many people root their phone? Those that do are probably even more aware of the risks and consider themselves capable of dealing with them.

[sdduk]

Both Apple and Android have been hacked a couple of times and they have both removed the apps that was the calls straight away

I find most of the time its just scare tack-ticks from the papers and on the net

I had the Sky app that was bad...all i did was reset my phone and restored from my backup all in all about half an hour it took

I still do not use a AV because like already said on here they slow the Phone down.

[grumpyoldbat]

Quote:

Originally Posted by finbaar

I will say it one more time. You do not need anti virus on an Android device that gets its apps from the Play Store. You are wasting your time with AV free.

I would disagree with this. I'd agree that you don't need anti virus if you get your apps from Google Play and only download apps where you've carefully read the app requirements, or only downloaded apps made by genuinely reputable developers, but, and this is the point, Google do not pre-scan apps for viruses, malware or other scams. As a developer, you create your Google Developer account, pay your fee for billing/processing and that's it. There are no further checks. If you're an unscrupulous developer or a genuine one, you still just finish your app and upload it.

Apple DO scan their apps and have still had instances where dodgy devs have managed to get scam apps into their app store, so it stands to reason there's an even greater risk where no checks are being made.

By and large the people in this forum are tech savvy and clued up, but that doesn't mean everyone is. There are plenty of ordinary non-techie folks out there with Android phones, and I'd definitely recommend to my friends and family members that they install a free AV program (provided they'd checked it's not dodgy first!)

[jonmorris]

I thought Android now scanned apps when they're at the install stage?

[IslandNiles]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jonmorris

I thought Android now scanned apps when they're at the install stage?

Sometimes dodgy apps can make their way to the Play Store. Sometimes they even pose as antivirus apps.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-27118689

Bit of a dilemma!

[jonmorris]

That wasn't malicious though (as in doing any damage to the phone). It was simply a scam app.

In fact, that's quite an effective con. People think they're safe and pay the money, but the app does nothing. Nothing dodgy for Google to find in a scan, so everyone's a winner!

I suspect the 'genuine' apps don't do much more. I've tried a few and they seem to detect things like apps that serve ads and look for apps that use other permissions to seem like they're really powerful - but it's not anything that isn't available to the user anyway. Of course it makes them look great - revealing all this information about the app/game that could be suspicious but almost certainly isn't.

[IslandNiles]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jonmorris

That wasn't malicious though (as in doing any damage to the phone). It was simply a scam app.

In fact, that's quite an effective con. People think they're safe and pay the money, but the app does nothing. Nothing dodgy for Google to find in a scan, so everyone's a winner!

I suspect the 'genuine' apps don't do much more. I've tried a few and they seem to detect things like apps that serve ads and look for apps that use other permissions to seem like they're really powerful - but it's not anything that isn't available to the user anyway. Of course it makes them look great - revealing all this information about the app/game that could be suspicious but almost certainly isn't.

Yeah, I did mean to point out that it wasn't a malicious app. But as an app that did nothing and cost money, it relied on the belief that an antivirus app is necessary on Android.

[jonmorris]

Quote:

Originally Posted by IslandNiles

Yeah, I did mean to point out that it wasn't a malicious app. But as an app that did nothing and cost money, it relied on the belief that an antivirus app is necessary on Android.

I've often felt that the whole industry relies on scare tactics. Of course there are many genuine threats to some operating systems, but most are quite easy to avoid with even just a little common sense.

I have noticed that some of the apps for Android also include things like task managers, cache cleaning tools and the 'find/remote lock/erase' style features, that you can get elsewhere for free, but add 'value'. Killing tasks is rarely a good thing, while cleaning the cache probably doesn't do much, but people will think it's optimising their system.

The security functions are arguably good, but Android now has this feature as standard anyway.