Android security?
Android security? A member asks:
I have an Android tablet and Android smartphone, which I really enjoy! Do I really need to have an anti-virus app on these? And, which do you recommend? I’ve been looking at Avast, Lookout, and Sophos. I’m hoping I can get something that keeps me secure but isn’t too complicated that I get lost trying to figure it out. Thanks!
Right now, I recommend that users of Android tablets and smartphones use a protection program. The threat isn’t nearly as big as your standard Windows PC yet, but it’s quickly approaching that point – hackers are actively targeting the relatively open Android system. The threats mostly come from unsafe apps but this is morphing quickly into an all-out attack on the Android operating system. I’m guessing the hackers have read that Android is on the majority of smartphones in the world, hence it’s an attractive target. They are targeting Apple’s iPhone platform too, but it’s much harder to mess with iOS than with Android.
Please take a look at my Practical Help video (click here or the picture below), and scoot ahead to time marker 2:08, where I recommend Bitdefender for Android (get it from the Google Play Store). It’s free!
If you have a preference for one of the others, feel free to go with it. Either way, let me know how it goes – is Bitdefender as easy-to-use and uncomplicated-yet-secure on the Android as it is on the PC?
The other thing to do to keep your Android smartphone safe is to be very wary of adding apps to your smartphone, especially if they don’t come from the Google Play Store.
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Author: Chris Gardner
Your Tech Coach at PosiTek.net
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