Top 5 FREE Android Security Apps for your Android Phone or Tablet
If you are like me and most other mobile users, your Android device is quickly becoming your primary computer and chances are you have financial and personal information on your phone that you would like to keep private, held safe from the rest of the world.
Have you considered just how safe the data on your smart phone is?
Take a minute and consider what information is sitting on our phone and what could someone do with that information if they got their grubby little hands on it. Many of us manage passwords and credit card information on our phone. We use our phone for, email, online purchases, social networking and a myriad of functions. Because of the device’s constant connection to the internet, it’s portability and small size, it is vulnerable to hacking, malware, theft and loss. So how do we help protect it all?
Here are some great Android Security Apps that can safeguard your information and even some that can help you to retrieve a lost or stolen phone, or wipe it clean before a thief can get to the data.
Lookout Security & Antivirus
This is my preferred Android security software. The Lookout free version provides anti-virus, anti-theft and data backup. The “Premium” version ($29.95 per year), adds a Safe Browsing feature and a Privacy Adviser. The privacy adviser gives you insight into which apps access private data and helps you keep track of the apps installed on your device. I use the free version. It is easy to set up and is a minimalist type application. Install, configure and forget it.
Avast! Mobile Security
Avast! makes a good desktop security application and they now offer a great, free security app for your android device. Avast! is full-featured and highly configurable. If you want an all-in-one app for your Android phone this is it. In addition to the anti-virus, anti-theft and privacy advisor, Avast! also has, SMS and call filtering, application management, a network meter and firewall. With all these option it’s a bit more to set up and manage, but if you are serious about security for you phone give Avast! a try.
AVG Mobilation Anti-Virus Free
I like the AVG Mobilation Anti-Virus Free application although I don’t think “mobilation” is a word. But the app is solid and free. Two of the top check marks on my list. It comes loaded with Anti-Virus, Anti-Malware, SMS/text, device location alarm, locking and wiping. It also has a task killer and tuneup utility.
The Professional version for a onetime fee of $1.99 unlocks a spam filter for your email, online data backup and a password protection feature for securing individual app on your device.
On the backend of AVG Mobilation is a website where you can manage the remote functions like device location using Google Maps, alarm initiation, device lock and device wipe.
If you are techie enough or highly security conscious this could be the app for you. But if you want ease of use and a simple to understand interface then AVG Mobilation is probably not a good fit.
NQ Mobile Security
NQ Mobile Security has all the standard bells and whistles I have covered under the other apps and it is free. It comes with Anti-Virus, browser protection, firewall, contact backup, remote location via Google Maps, privacy advisor, network monitor and application optimizer. It is easy to use and navigate. There are various premium versions that offer extra remote security features, anti-eavesdropping, and financial data protection that can all be remotely managed from a website.
Norton Mobile Security Lite
I am giving Norton Mobile Security Lite an honorable mention because Norton has been around years longer than the competition and they know a thing or two about securing technology. There “Lite” version is very basic and seems more like a demo to their paid version ($29.99 per year) than a true security app. So if you are one who likes to keep with the old guard and need only basic protection then Norton Mobile Security Lite might be right for you.
Security threats to mobile devices are increasing rapidly so installing a line of defense on your mobile device will help to insure you are not going to be the next victim. Most apps take only a few minutes to install and configure. Once it’s installed and setup is complete you can rest a little better knowing the phone you left at the restaurant is safe until you can get it back.