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Does android devices need an antivirus?

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omnia1994 said:
As topic =)
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I will not say no, but I haven't seen or had a real life demonstration where an Android AV software stopped or prevented anything on any device (Xoom included).
I personally don't have one loaded on any of my Android devices but I would say this. For phones / tables I prefer firewall software than AV.
Sent from my PG86100 using Tapatalk 2

I would have to say yes. I recently attended a corporate day at Symantec and one of the things they demonstrated to us was how an Android phone becomes infected. The using a laptop they were able to extract personal info and sent txt messages and make calls.
So for me having seen that I would say yes especially if you side load apps using alternative markets.

Funny thing about that...
The sandboxing of the Java processes means that there's no escalation of privilege possible.
There are no viruses on Android in the sense that arbitrary code can be run, or infect the bytecode of other apps.
However, there are malicious apps which can be spotted by their permissions.
Don't use alternative markets. Pay attention to what you install, read permissions, read about the developers. Turn off unknown sources when not installing something from a trusted source. Those are the best security practices.
The "antivirus" apps for Android add very little real security on top of this, but they do slow down your device to make you feel safer.
stiflingcobra said:
I would have to say yes. I recently attended a corporate day at Symantec and one of the things they demonstrated to us was how an Android phone becomes infected. The using a laptop they were able to extract personal info and sent txt messages and make calls.
So for me having seen that I would say yes especially if you side load apps using alternative markets.
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Your correct about the permissions. The demo we had was an app that had had extra code added and was uploaded onto the market. The demo then showed both apps with the same icons etc but the permissions on the rogue app were nearly 3 times what the legit app required.
The game still ran when you installed it but in the background it was running other daemons giving the hacker the control. One of the big give aways was the ability to send txt messages. No game should need this.
So yes you do have to be vigilant but extra protection is always better if you don't mind having Antivirus software installed...

In my experience all that is really needed is a well configured firewall, pay attention to permission list before the app installation and to obviously avoid unofficial app markets.
The next thing to consider is what web browser you use. There are tons of options out there to choose and not all of them, actually most, don't offer modern features like anti-fishing and popup denial protection.
The best practice will always be prevention, and some android av programs do better than most.
If you are so inclined to have one, my recommendation would be for eset mobile security. I use their av on all my windows machines and haven't had a major issue at all.
Sent from my XT910-Rogers using XDA Premium.

As long as your brain works when reading the permissions (i.e. "why does a wallpaper need to send SMSs?"), then no, an AV isn't necessary.
Unfortunately, a lot of android users don't see to do this, hence hte mass media panic about android viruses.

stiflingcobra said:
Your correct about the permissions. The demo we had was an app that had had extra code added and was uploaded onto the market. The demo then showed both apps with the same icons etc but the permissions on the rogue app were nearly 3 times what the legit app required.
The game still ran when you installed it but in the background it was running other daemons giving the hacker the control. One of the big give aways was the ability to send txt messages. No game should need this.
So yes you do have to be vigilant but extra protection is always better if you don't mind having Antivirus software installed...
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That's why I recommended a firewall over an AV software, when I comes to Android at least it makes more sense to me to protect the flow of information then to waist CPU cycles on scanning for viruses.
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megabiteg said:
That's why I recommended a firewall over an AV software, when I comes to Android at least it makes more sense to me to protect the flow of information then to waist CPU cycles on scanning for viruses.
Sent from my PG86100 using Tapatalk 2
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Good point. I recently un-installed my anti-virus (was using Avast) because it was really slowing down app installation and updating.

omnia1994 said:
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Yes android devices need antivirus because when you download apps or games from unknown parties aka third parties they mostly have virus or spyware so we need a antivirus which can scan files while downloading and if they have virus or spyware it would stop them if u ask me which av i m using i would recommend Appriva could antivirus reasons its available on play store and its free doesn't use much memory fast and reliable

popularmechanics.com/technology/how-to/computer-security/you-should-put-antivirus-software-on-your-phone-14886208
Wysyłane z mojego Xoom za pomocą Tapatalk 2

Securing my phone, so many choices

I recently bought Android phone HTC ONE V and i am suprised how business work around Anroid OS + apps. I see some major problems :
1) Is there any trusted authority which inform users that application is 'safe' ? (see article : android-malware-spreads-via-website-injection-campaigns) Malware apps are even on Google Play market. I suppose that solution for this problem is to download just from e.g. TOP 10 apps from each category and just *hope* and *believe* that there is no malware contained just because these apps are soo much popular.
2) How to control permissions/app starts/firewall is there any good app for that ? I have unrooted phone. (I cant have Cyanogenmod 7/9 installed on my HTC One V because it was not ported yet) What would you recommend to me ? I see a lot of recommendations for "LBE Privacy Guard" app but then i found thread here on xda forum that this application is maybe suspicious/dangerous etc... I just want to have full control over my phone, why is that choice so difficult ?
List of apps, often recommened by 'The Internet', are these ok or not ? :
Wifi Protector
Droidwall
WhisperCore
WhisperMonitor
SSH Tunnel
Titanium Backup
ROM Manager
Tasker
Perfect App Protector Pro
This exactly describes my situation, many choices -> i expect to get the best from the Android :
The opportunity costs associated with a decision and the time and effort that go into making it are "fixed costs" that we "pay" up front, and those costs then get "amortized" over the life of the decision. The more we invest in a decision, the more satisfaction we expect to realize from our investment. If the decision provides substantial satisfaction for a long time after it is made, the costs of making it recede into insignificance. But if the decision provides pleasure for only a short time, those costs loom large. Spending four months deciding what stereo to buy is not so bad if you really enjoy that stereo for 15 years. But if you are excited by it for six months and then adapt, you may feel like a fool for having put in all that effort.
Dont you feel the same about these Android 'choices' sometimes ?

Tell Me What Kind Of Apps You Are Looking For And I'll Give you Some Recommendations

From the list of apps you have provided I can see that all of them are trusted and reliable.. so go ahead..

1. Well google aded some security in market so before they upload app they check if it is malware-free. But for more security you can download antivirus
(I RECOMMEND AVAST!)
2. For managing apps permisions im using LBE Privacy Guard is the top app for permisions and firewall managment.
Titanium Backup, Tasker-- awesome apps 100% excelent!
Have a nice day

+1 for avast! excellent at keeping viruses out, keeping data secure, doesn't slow the phone down and has an awesome anti-theft feature which if you're rooted is even better!

Did anyones avast actually find anything that is not a false positive?
Just wondering if this is really necessary...

My avast detected the one click root and androot files on my sd card as malware, which I mean they could be lol but the process of identifying them as false positives was a pain. Other than that... Avast is amazing.
Sent from my myTouch_4G_Slide using XDA

onebornoflight said:
My avast detected the one click root and androot files on my sd card as malware, which I mean they could be lol but the process of identifying them as false positives was a pain. Other than that... Avast is amazing.
Sent from my myTouch_4G_Slide using XDA
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Yes, sometimes it does its an antivirus so... he thinks that third-party apps are suspicious, but there is nothing to worry about when it comes to root.

antivirus is no good for performance

Antivirus overrated
Antivirus is and will never be any good for performance. You have to decide what risk you are willing to take. With good common sense, you can filter out the obvious threats. Review apps permissions and (try to) install only apps you and the community trust. If you don't trust it, ask around in this forum
Also - obviously - don't visit suspicious sites, click on links in emails and never download programs you don't know.
Personally, i do not use virus protection. I do use DroidWall and LBE Privacy guard for a few apps, but more for data and performance issues.
But i also regularly whipe my phone to install new ROM's and let my (trusted) apps freshly reinstall and restore only game user data.

rilorolo said:
Antivirus is and will never be any good for performance. You have to decide what risk you are willing to take. With good common sense, you can filter out the obvious threats. Review apps permissions and (try to) install only apps you and the community trust. If you don't trust it, ask around in this forum
Also - obviously - don't visit suspicious sites, click on links in emails and never download programs you don't know.
Personally, i do not use virus protection. I do use DroidWall and LBE Privacy guard for a few apps, but more for data and performance issues.
But i also regularly whipe my phone to install new ROM's and let my (trusted) apps freshly reinstall and restore only game user data.
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+1 here. I think that there is no need to use an Antivirus. Just have a look on the permissions when installing an app and you will be OK.

[Q] Best Antivirus for GT-N7000

Guys,
Can anyone please suggest which is the best antivirus for Galaxy note N7000, which consume very low "RAM" and "CPU"
not expecting any extraordinary functions ...
Please suggest
Thnks,
Vineeth

Avg antivirus is pretty good
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda app-developers app

I like avast. It also doubles as an anti theft

Have a look at Lookout as well.

I like common sense antivirus, uses no on device resources and is very effective. What I'm saying is IMO you don't need any A/V on Android as long as you don't install apps from suspicious 3rd party sites and stay away from anything newly listed in Google Play that looks suspicious. When in doubt check the reviews and also check the permissions the app requests at installation.

Securing adroid devices as much as possible.

Hey guys!
I'm given the task of securing 2 android devices (galaxy tab 7.0 and an S3). The friend of mine who has asked me to do this has been hacked (on an Iphone and on a windows PC) recently (for various sinister reasons) and After I secured her windows environment she bought these devices. A while after using the phone someone started to remotely control the phone and typed 'hell' in our language and she is really afraid. One of the pcs I secured has been stolen since it couldn't be reached remotely anymore, so I guess the threat is pretty serious. Now getting to the point, what would be the BEST way to do this ?
-Flashing custom roms on these (which is the most secure?)
-Seting up an antivirus + firewall on both devices (also I'd like to know which of these are the best NP if its paid)
-Setting up an anti theft app (and same here, I know Cerberus, but I'm wondering if there is a better solution)
The hard part of this is the fact the hackers are very likely experts (they hacked her Iphone back then making it taking photos and logging all keys like a regular keylogger).

What a story!
I strongly recommend avast! AntiVirus which comes with avast! Anti-Theft. Best Part: It's free!
McAfee is supposed to detect more malware but not as many as it would be worth its price.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda app-developers app

H3llwar said:
What a story!
I strongly recommend avast! AntiVirus which comes with avast! Anti-Theft. Best Part: It's free!
McAfee is supposed to detect Moore Malware but not as many as it would be worth its price.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda app-developers app
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Thank you Buddy! Any additional professional suggestions? Anyone?

Anti-virus is only a curative solution, and can only detect malware after they have already breached your device. Android's security model makes it difficult for an attacker to remotely breach the device, unless they have a bad app installed on the device. When a user installs an app, they give that app certain permissions, and these permissions need to be checked to ensure they aren't being used as malicious apps (why would a camera app need to make phone calls on your behalf?) . The best suggestion would be to exercise good permission checking habits to ensure you aren't accidentally installing a bad app. Also, attackers may also send bad code through SMS, which may appear as a clickable link. I could keep going on possible ways to get compromised, but these are the most prominent.

syung said:
Anti-virus is only a curative solution, and can only detect malware after they have already breached your device. Android's security model makes it difficult for an attacker to remotely breach the device, unless they have a bad app installed on the device. When a user installs an app, they give that app certain permissions, and these permissions need to be checked to ensure they aren't being used as malicious apps (why would a camera app need to make phone calls on your behalf?) . The best suggestion would be to exercise good permission checking habits to ensure you aren't accidentally installing a bad app. Also, attackers may also send bad code through SMS, which may appear as a clickable link. I could keep going on possible ways to get compromised, but these are the most prominent.
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Get a PermissionsManager like OpenPDroid or XPrivacy.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda app-developers app

Good antivirus for rooted phones?

Hey does anyone know of a good antivirus app for a rooted zenfone 2e? I want one that is free but has as many features as possible as well. Thanks.

I used to use Avast but the best anti virus is you, the user. Know your system, know the internet. If youre rooting, you will/should eventually get very familiar with android, how it behaves, the file system, permissions, built-in apps, etc. Avoid indiscriminate app downloads, especially from places other than the play store, and never follow links that youre unsure of. My opinion is that Windows is the only OS that AV is pretty much necessary.

I second avast. An interesting feature is that it will survive a factory reset if stolen.

zshep99 said:
Hey does anyone know of a good antivirus app for a rooted zenfone 2e? I want one that is free but has as many features as possible as well. Thanks.
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Unlike the PC, it is extremely unlikely you will "get" a virus on your android. It is you who has to install the malware to make it happen. And it is extremely easy to remove the malware. A factory reset would do it and as root user you could simply restore your nandroid backup.
tetakpatalked from Nexus 7 flo

Most antivirus apps come with a huge amount of crap no one needs. They often drain your battery and slow your smartphone down. I have also seen antivirus apps which behave more like spyware by replacing advertisements in other apps or direct you to untrustworthy websites when opening the webbrowser.
My opinion: You do not need an antivirus app on your smartphone. Make sure you install most apps via appstore. Take care with apps from 3rd party websites. (Especially if the website says you have an virus on your smartphone => scareware!)

I would never install Antivir-Apps, since they will drop your phone-performance. And what do you get for this? Nothing. Just be carefully of what you are downloading.

i thinks for android no needs one antivirus..

Kenfary72 said:
i thinks for android no needs one antivirus..
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+ one
Envoyé de mon E5333 en utilisant Tapatalk

Kenfary72 said:
i thinks for android no needs one antivirus..
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+ two

My opinion is that android doesn't need antivirus software when the user is careful about what he downloads.

no disregard to anyone, but are you sure you are in developers forum ?!?! this is not a google store !
do you still live in Symbian world ? even the google play itself has malwares ! or you just want to ignore it ? beside those, hangroid can be easily hacked. the only system that dose not a antivirus is winphone, and it has not need it yet ! but they will come for it very soon.
personally i will never trust ios o even open my email, and in android i have an original payed antivirus that really can respond to a virus. i have original nod32 (i do NOT like it, but i didn't get a better one in hangroid.)
visited by lenovo tab2 a8.
best regards, josef.

josef2600 said:
no disregard to anyone, but are you sure you are in developers forum ?!?! this is not a google store !
do you still live in Symbian world ? even the google play itself has malwares ! or you just want to ignore it ? beside those, hangroid can be easily hacked. the only system that dose not a antivirus is winphone, and it has not need it yet ! but they will come for it very soon.
personally i will never trust ios o even open my email, and in android i have an original payed antivirus that really can respond to a virus. i have original nod32 (i do NOT like it, but i didn't get a better one in hangroid.)
visited by lenovo tab2 a8.
best regards, josef.
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Best antivirus is still brain.apk
Just do not instal every bulls* and you are good to go.
Most antivirus apps are snakeoil/bloatware which will not protect you from anything!

It is good to think about an anti-virus. Android malwares exist, so everyone who's telling here that AVs for Android are a no-go are jumping the gun. However, the Android system already has some security measures into place. So is it still worth it? Yes. The Play Store can't guarantee a 100% clean virus free app collection. History has shown that. "use your brain" is also not a really constructive argument, it is easy to install a sample or virus infected application. Is it that dumb to use an AV on Android? No.
My suggestion, *buy* an AV. For example I have a yearly subscription to Freedome from F-Secure (VPN service). Primarly for my laptop but you can install it on three devices (I have it on 2 laptops and my smartphone). For the smartphone, besides a VPN the app will also scan the device for malicious apps so I got all my important security features in one app. I know that Avast has something similar. I paid 50 euros for one year, which is next to nothing considering the features and piece of mind. And for all those that go on ranting on my post here, I am a security professional in Android and see malware samples from the inside (reverse engineer) all the time
I encourage you to look in those options: VPN and App scan.

tetakpatak said:
Unlike the PC, it is extremely unlikely you will "get" a virus on your android. It is you who has to install the malware to make it happen. And it is extremely easy to remove the malware. A factory reset would do it and as root user you could simply restore your nandroid backup.
tetakpatalked from Nexus 7 flo
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Remember stagefight thingy ? One could have abused it to gain root privileges and install a binary that run at start, a raw binary, not a package.
Tell me how it is easy to uninstall it, you would first have to track it, if it's purpose wasn't to patch other binaries, and then, you're good to reflash system partition.
No system is invulnerable
Of course, it's tough to get a virus on android, but there's still common malware, adware, scareware, and raw security flaws. There is still need for security solutions, mostly for the raw flaws.

Best choice for you from my point of view
CM Security & Malwarebytes Anti-Malware

I agree with Magissia if you think over that what you are going to do.

Virustotal AND vulnerability patches