Best Security/Privacy Apps for the V

[mmarz]

Here are some options for privacy and information control on your phone. I have all of these installed because each has its own benefit, and they work together well. If I could only pick one, it would be LBE Privacy Guard. It provides case by case prompts to control when apps can access what content on your phone.

1. LBE Privacy Guard
   LBE Privacy Guard works just like Windows UAC, it intercept vital actions (like send SMS, call phones) and requests to access sensitive data(SMS conversation, contacts, phone location, IMEI, IMSI, etc) from apps, then prompt for your confirmation. Unless explicit permit, such actions and request will be rejected.
   LBE Privacy Guard also has a low-level firewall, supports per-app control like droidwall, but not require netfilter/iptables so it works on pre-froyo devices and faster than droidwall because it doesn't filter packets.
   
   Developers Page: [APP][ROOT] LBE Privacy Guard - Most Powerful privacy protection app for Android - xda-developers
   Market Page: https://market.android.com/details?id=com.lbe.security
   
   
2. DroidWall
   Front-end application for the iptables Linux firewall.
   Allows you to restrict which apps can access the network.
   Seems redundant to have this and LBE, but this app gives you refined control over which apps can access 3G vs wifi, plus it has options for whitellists and blacklists. Use it in conjunction with these instructions to have screen on/screen off firewall profiles.
   
   Developers Page: droidwall - DroidWall - Android Firewall - Google Project Hosting
   Market Page: https://market.android.com/details?id=com.googlecode.droidwall.free
   
   
3. Permissions Denied
   Permissions allows you to effectively control the permissions that apps which are installed onto your phone, via the market or some other source.
   It provides more controls than LBE but does not provide prompts or on the fly changes. So whatever you set is permanent unless you change the values again and reboot.
   
   Developers Page: android-permissions - Control Installed applications Permissions - Google Project Hosting
   Market Page: https://market.android.com/details?id=com.stericson.permissions
   
   
4. Privacy Blocker
   Privacy Blocker is the only way to fully protect you and stop apps from gathering your personal information. Privacy Blocker reveals all your apps dirty secrets and then safely fixes them so you can still use your apps with an assurance of full protection. Keep your device safe and your personal information secure today!
   Again, this gives more refined control over what your apps an access. It has the drawback of actually modifying your apps. In order to update a modified app, you must first uninstall it.
   
   Developers Page: [Support] Privacy Blocker - Droid Forum - Verizon Droid & the Motorola Droid Forum
   Market Page: https://market.android.com/details?id=com.xeudoxus.privacy.blocker

From top to bottom, the likelihood of an application doing a FC because of the security app increases. I have yet to get a FC from LBE or Droidwall. I cannot say the same about the other two. If a setting does cause a FC, it is easy enough to reverse.

 

[bdfull3r]

Security is a relative term when it comes to software. Nothing is 100% secure if the hacker is determined and smart enough.

Permissions can lead to some force closes but overall a decent app.

 

[JerryScript]

All excellent suggestions to help increase our low security situation, thanks for posting and describing.

Glad to see you didn't include an AV, I'm still not convinced AV is either necessary or truly functional on Android at this time.

 

[mmarz]

All excellent suggestions to help increase our low security situation, thanks for posting and describing.

Glad to see you didn't include an AV, I'm still not convinced AV is either necessary or truly functional on Android at this time.

Yeah, I have no idea what an AV would do. If you install from the market, google can already remotely delete "bad programs" when they catch them. If you install from pirate sources, who knows what is included inside legit programs. AV programs would have to download ALL pirated versions of programs, and then scan them for possible malicious code. Even legit programs steal your info. What would malicious code look like?

The best solution is having control over your info. Having said all this, I still don't know what is storing my password in plain text, and I don't even know exactly where it is storing it on my phone either. I do know that it is there though.

 

[zires]

How is your battery life with these programs constantly running?

Sent from my VM670 using Tapatalk

 

[mmarz]

How is your battery life with these programs constantly running?

Sent from my VM670 using Tapatalk

The best part of these apps is they don't actively do anything. Privacy Blocker, Permissions Denied, and DroidWall literally apply their settings, and then do not have to do anything else. LBE Privacy Guard is a little different, but because of google OS, it doesn't actively have to check anything either. It tells android to notify it if program X tries to do Y. Then it does nothing until android notifies it of X doing Y. The end result is that my battery life isn't effected as far as I can tell. I haven't tested it thoroughly, but it looks like I still have an idle battery draw of 1% an hour.,

Off the wall detour:
Try this, open the built-n browser and navigate to google.com. No matter the settings for your phone's location sharing or for your google account, you'll see your GPS icon show up at the top in the notification area. LBE Privacy Guard is the only program I've found that can deny GPS privileges to the browser app and stop google from logging your location. You have no idea how satisfying that is. I wouldn't care if it doubled my battery use (which it doesn't), LBE Privacy Guard is here to stay.

 

[vee]

The best solution is having control over your info. Having said all this, I still don't know what is storing my password in plain text, and I don't even know exactly where it is storing it on my phone either. I do know that it is there though.

Over the past 3 weeks (I use 3 gmail accounts), I've been testing each of my gmails 1 by one after my main gmail showed a different state login besides my own (tx). My first thought was that it was my phone, so I added my secondary gmail to my phone, logged in once, and waited, day later, there it was, the same state opposite mine logged into my account. Decided to try again with another gmail, added account to phone, day later, same thing. I have all the current possible malicious code blockers known on android, and the 3rd time I added my last account, I was actually on a stock rom with only amazon apps installed and other paid ones (not sayin its amazon) and my gmail was still hijacked.

That being said, monitor your gmail login activity on your browser to make sure other ip's besides your known ones arent loggin in. I'm still not sure what app is doin this, but I'm changin my password every other day now...sadly.