[nrm5110]

I was hoping for a decent discussion on the pros of antivirus, as I already have my argument against them but some people like to just argue without reason.

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[Ricky Babalu]

To the OP: Here is a very good article on this subject, it is a short read and very informative.

[nrm5110]

To the OP: Here is a very good article on this subject, it is a short read and very informative.

That was an excellent read sir thank you

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[Ricky Babalu]

Just got a SGS3 and was wondering if antiviruses are actually a necessity. And if so, which one is the lightest on resources/best?

I also wanted to mention this is a lovely community and I've already done a ton to my phone thanks to all the valuable information I've gleaned off the threads.

Agreed 100 %. Sometimes you will have to weed through posts to determine what is fact and what is misinformation. Ultimately though, logical and factual info will supersede any non-factual info as evidenced here.

[TheLibertarian]

I think the trade off is getting AV and having more apps available. iphone store has more control but less apps really, especially free and cheap ones.

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Apple's App Store has, literally, hundreds of thousands more apps than the Play Store.

------------------

But to the OP: An antivirus is not a necessity. I'm not saying you will have a virus, but if you're mildly responsible while downloading apps you'll be just fine.

If you're set on using one, avast! and Lookout both make a terrific app with added features aside from just scanning for harmful programs, i.e. remote wipes & tracking.

Sidenote: Two contributers in this thread have listed very useful, factually supported information.

Good luck!

[nrm5110]

Apple's App Store has, literally, hundreds of thousands more apps than the Play Store.

------------------

But to the OP: An antivirus is not a necessity. I'm not saying you will have a virus, but if you're mildly responsible while downloading apps you'll be just fine.

If you're set on using one, avast! and Lookout both make a terrific app with added features aside from just scanning for harmful programs, i.e. remote wipes & tracking.

Sidenote: Two contributers in this thread have listed very useful, factually supported information.

Good luck!

More false information the play store and apples app store have the same number of apps both last checked were around 700,000

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[Kelly Kearns]

Edited to remove the post, since no one is allowed to post in this thread really.

[nrm5110]

Nobody said we can't post it just needs to be respectful and if possible based on fact.

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[TheLibertarian]

More false information the play store and apples app store have the same number of apps both last checked were around 700,000

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Google's Play Store has surpassed the 700k mark, but Apple announced probably a month and a half ago they surpassed one million. Maybe I'm just as misinformed as the many, many sources that reported that information that were not as well informed as yourself. Could be wrong, though I'll post links when I'm not posting from my mobile.

[nrm5110]

Google's Play Store has surpassed the 700k mark, but Apple announced probably a month and a half ago they surpassed one million. Maybe I'm just as misinformed as the many, many sources that reported that information that were not as well informed as yourself. Could be wrong, though I'll post links when I'm not posting from my mobile.

Over 1mil created but around 736,000 active in the iOS appstore.

So technically both stores contain a similar number available.

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[Jerry Hildenbrand]

So far we have:

1. people who read blogs
2. AT&T sales persons
3. folks who make money by selling Android anti-virus software
4. people who think coding in Java makes something secure
5. people who type in red
6. people who worry about the number of apps sold by Apple

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say I might be an expert. My bosses seem to think so, but I hate labels. Anyhoo, I spend 12-15 hours per day, 7 days a week, working with Android devices. Have been for the past 2+ years. I probably know as much as the AT&T guy anyway. I'll try to make this as boring, but plain as possible.

There are no viruses for Android. A computer virus replicates itself inside new pieces of code. Sharing an infected Giant Jiggly Boobs live wallpaper you downloaded from a cracked apk website does not make it a virus.

There have been instances of applications with malware inside them.

There have been instances of apps in Google Play (as well as Apple's appstore, but that's neither here nor there) with malware embedded.

I define Malware as something harmful to your Android device or personal data. People who have something to gain from malware scanners and sensationalism count things like ads and push ads as malware.

Improperly coded apps can allow other apps to gain permissions that they have not declared. An app could have access to your contact data, and store its own data in an insecure way, then other apps could read this data -- without asking for permission to read your contact data.

By my count, I have installed over 250,000 Android applications. It's part of what i do for a living. I have been hit by malware once -- but not from Google Play. It was from an alternative, but legitimate "adult" Android store. (I love my job). The owners of said store worked with me to find the offending app and remove it, as well as ban the publisher from their store.

Anyone who claims they are safe because they understand permissions is lying to themselves.

Anyone who claims they are safe because they only install apps from Google Play is lying to themselves.

A person who says they read permissions, only download from official sources, AND use common sense/read reviews/don't try to get something for nothing are likely safe.

If you download apps from websites that host cracked apps, you ARE infected. I've torn apart hundreds and hundreds of apk files from these places, and 9 out of 10 of them have extra software inside.

Using a security app won't hurt your Android device. Using common sense won't hurt your Android device. Using neither will.

Carry on.

[nrm5110]

So far we have:

1. people who read blogs
2. AT&T sales persons
3. folks who make money by selling Android anti-virus software
4. people who think coding in Java makes something secure
5. people who type in red
6. people who worry about the number of apps sold by Apple

I'm seeing quite a few assumptions here sir. I will say your info was good but honestly I have trouble looking past this. Maybe one should be more direct.

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[Jerry Hildenbrand]

I'm seeing quite a few assumptions here sir. I will say your info was good but honestly I have trouble looking past this. Maybe one should be more direct.

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Then don't look past it, it was provided for the OP, and to stop the silly bickering that happens anytime school is on hiatus. You're assuming that I care about anything more than stopping the reported posts from coming to my inbox. You shouldn't do that.

[Ricky Babalu]

So far we have:

1. people who read blogs
2. AT&T sales persons
3. folks who make money by selling Android anti-virus software
4. people who think coding in Java makes something secure
5. people who type in red
6. people who worry about the number of apps sold by Apple

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say I might be an expert. My bosses seem to think so, but I hate labels. Anyhoo, I spend 12-15 hours per day, 7 days a week, working with Android devices. Have been for the past 2+ years. I probably know as much as the AT&T guy anyway. I'll try to make this as boring, but plain as possible.

[INFO]There are no viruses for Android. A computer virus replicates itself inside new pieces of code. Sharing an infected Giant Jiggly Boobs live wallpaper you downloaded from a cracked apk website does not make it a virus.

There have been instances of applications with malware inside them.

There have been instances of apps in Google Play (as well as Apple's appstore, but that's neither here nor there) with malware embedded.

I define Malware as something harmful to your Android device or personal data. People who have something to gain from malware scanners and sensationalism count things like ads and push ads as malware.

Improperly coded apps can allow other apps to gain permissions that they have not declared. An app could have access to your contact data, and store its own data in an insecure way, then other apps could read this data -- without asking for permission to read your contact data.

By my count, I have installed over 250,000 Android applications. It's part of what i do for a living. I have been hit by malware once -- but not from Google Play. It was from an alternative, but legitimate "adult" Android store. (I love my job). The owners of said store worked with me to find the offending app and remove it, as well as ban the publisher from their store.

Anyone who claims they are safe because they understand permissions is lying to themselves.

Anyone who claims they are safe because they only install apps from Google Play is lying to themselves.

A person who says they read permissions, only download from official sources, AND use common sense/read reviews/don't try to get something for nothing are likely safe.

If you download apps from websites that host cracked apps, you ARE infected. I've torn apart hundreds and hundreds of apk files from these places, and 9 out of 10 of them have extra software inside.

Using a security app won't hurt your Android device. Using common sense won't hurt your Android device. Using neither will.[/INFO]

Carry on.

Can we add people typing in green boxes to the list.

[TheLibertarian]

Over 1mil created but around 736,000 active in the iOS appstore.

So technically both stores contain a similar number available.

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Ahh, then I have been properly educated. Good marketing scheme by Apple, anyways, with not clarifying that bit.

[tyrntlzrdking]

I wanna be a Cowboy.

[DroidN3WB]

Thanks for the replies everyone! Much appreciated.

- - - Updated - - -

Thanks for the replies everyone! Much appreciated.

[lakeshow66]

I use AVG and Lookout

[wrwesley57]

It's good to see someone with some actual expertise commenting on issues like this one! My bigger concern is what happens if I lose my phone/tablet or if it's stolen. Any recommendations on the best security applications to deal with lost/stolen devices?

Thanks.

[nrm5110]

It's good to see someone with some actual expertise commenting on issues like this one! My bigger concern is what happens if I lose my phone/tablet or if it's stolen. Any recommendations on the best security applications to deal with lost/stolen devices?

Thanks.

Cerberus

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[nolittdroid]

The way I see it, better safe than sorry. Viruses are pretty popular. I use Lookout and it is set to scan all my files and my online browsing.

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