The next are the 13 finest antivirus instruments for Android, in response to AV-TEST’s March 2019 evaluations of 19 Android safety apps. (The AV-TEST Institute is a Germany-based unbiased service supplier of IT safety and antivirus analysis.)
AV-TEST charges every software for 3 areas: safety (six level max), usability (six factors max) and options (one level max). Eight of the 13 Android antivirus software program apps listed beneath acquired excellent safety and value scores of 6.0. The apps are in alphabetical order.
The common real-time malware detection price for all apps examined was 97.Eight %. For real-time detection of Android malware found prior to now 4 weeks the common price was 98.2 %.
The AV-TEST InstituteFind out how to use these antivirus take a look at outcomes
Understand that these exams had been finished in a lab surroundings. Completely different enterprise techniques with totally different menace fashions will see totally different outcomes for every of the merchandise listed beneath. In different phrases, don’t anticipate {that a} 100 % detection price within the lab signifies that a product will detect all antivirus threats in your community. One cause is that it might take days for a newly submitted malware pattern to make it into any given antivirus product’s database.
What the AV-TEST outcomes present is which Android antivirus merchandise are constantly the most effective on the fundamentals of malware detection and have minimal affect on system efficiency. That makes start line as you consider which merchandise work finest on your surroundings.
1. AhnLab V3 Cell Safety 3.1
AhnLab V3 Mobile Security did not fairly obtain excellent detection scores: 99.9 % for each malware detection and detection of lately found malware. That was sufficient to earn it excellent rankings. The app gave no false warnings. It has characteristic set together with anti-theft, name blocking, protected shopping and anti-theft options. Nonetheless, it lacks parental management, private information backup and encryption.
2. Avast Cell Safety 6.16
Avast Mobile Security 6.16 managed Android malware detection in real-time 99.7 % of the time. It discovered 100 % of the newest Android malware found through the earlier 4 weeks. The app doesn’t negatively have an effect on battery life or trigger the system to get sluggish throughout regular use. It registered zero false warnings throughout set up and third-party app shops.
Cell Safety’s protected shopping options assist shield in opposition to phishing assaults and malicious web sites, and it presents anti-theft options equivalent to distant wipe. The app additionally has a name blocker. Further options not evaluated by AV-TEST embrace an app lock, a privateness advisor, and wi-fi safety.
3. AVG AntiVirus Free 6.17
AVG AntiVirus Free 6.17 had a 99.7 detection price for real-time malware detection and a 100 % detection price for lately found malware. It gave no false warnings. The app has an honest set of options together with anti-theft, distant wipe, name blocking, protected shopping, backup of non-public information, app lock, wi-fi safety, and privateness advisor. Nonetheless, it lacks message filtering, parental controls, and encryption.
4. Bitdefender Cell Safety Model 3.3
Bitdefender Mobile Security’s Android malware detection in real-time is 100 %, and it found the most recent Android threats found within the final 4 weeks 100 % of the time as effectively. For usability, the app will get massive verify marks for not dragging down battery life or system speeds. AV-TEST discovered zero false warnings throughout set up/utilization of legit apps from Google Play, however did give one false warning throughout set up and use of apps from third-party shops.
Not like some Android malware safety apps, Bitdefender’s Cell Safety presents anti-theft options, together with distant lock, wipe, and find, in addition to protected internet shopping and phishing safety. Like many different Android safety instruments, it doesn’t embrace message filtering or name blocking and doesn’t help all varieties of encryption. Further options not evaluated embrace app lock and a privateness advisor.
5. Eset Endpoint Safety 2.6
Eset Endpoint Security had excellent scores in each malware detection classes and excessive rankings for usability and efficiency. It has set of options together with anti-theft, name blocking, message filtering and protected shopping. It doesn’t provide private backup or encryption.
6. F-Safe Secure 17.6
F-Secure Safe detected the newest Android malware in real-time 99 % of the time and people found inside 4 weeks 99.9 % of the time. There’s no drain on battery life or efficiency and the app doesn’t generate an excessive amount of site visitors. False warnings throughout set up and use of legit apps from Google Play had been zero, however the app gave one false warning throughout set up of use of a legit app from third-party shops. Options embrace anti-theft (distant lock, distant wipe, and find), name blocking, protected shopping, parental management and utility privateness.
7. G Information Web Safety 26.5
G Data’s Internet Security has extra options than a lot of its different top-rated opponents. AV-TEST checked the bins for distant lock, wipe, and find; name blocking; message filtering; protected shopping; and parental management. The one ‘x’ marks the app acquired had been for not enabling private information to be saved to an SD card or cloud storage and never help any form of encryption.
Web Safety’s real-time Android malware detection price was 99.7 %, whereas it detected threats found prior to now 4 weeks 100 %. The superb usability rating resulted from not negatively affecting battery life, dragging down system efficiency, or producing an excessive amount of site visitors. The app issued zero false warnings throughout set up and use of legit apps from Google Play, however did give on for apps from third-party app shops.
8. Kaspersky Lab Web Safety Model 11.20
Kaspersky Lab’s Android malware scanner caught the newest Android malware in real-time 100 % of the time and the newest threats found over the prior month 100 % of the time. The app’s excellent usability rating outcomes from not impacting battery life, slowing efficiency or producing an excessive amount of site visitors. The characteristic set is extra sturdy than most, with distant locking, wiping and site; name blocking; message filtering; and protected shopping/anti-phishing safety. Further options not examined embrace privateness safety and anti-phishing safety for texts.
9. McAfee Cell Safety Model 5.2
McAfee Mobile Security Android malware scanner detected bugs in real-time 99.5 % of the time, and caught malware found within the final 4 weeks 99.1 % of the time. Usability was stellar. The app’s characteristic set is robust, together with a full set of anti-theft instruments, name blocking, protected shopping and phishing safety, parental management, and the flexibility to avoid wasting private information to an SD card or the cloud. Cell Safety doesn’t help all varieties of encryption, nonetheless. Different options not examined embrace battery optimizer, privateness verify, and app lock.
10. SK Telecom T guard 2.10
A brand new of the AV-TEST chief listing, SK Telecom T guard misplaced a half level on the safety rating, detecting real-time threats 99.Eight % of the time and newly found malware 99.5 % of the time. T guard would not provide options discovered on most different Android choices, together with anti-theft, name blocking and protected shopping. One untested characteristic it does provide is rooting detection.
11. Sophos Cell Safety 9.0
Sophos Mobile Security detected new malware in real-time 99.7 % of the time and inside 4 weeks 100 % of the time. The right usability rating comes from not impacting batter life or efficiency or producing an excessive amount of site visitors. The app contains anti-theft, name blocking, message filtering, and protected shopping options, together with a privateness advisor, safety advisor, app safety and authenticator.
12. Symantec Norton Cell Safety 4.4
Symantec Norton Mobile Security caught 100 % of all Android malware, together with these found lately and inside 4 weeks, with no false warnings. It has set of usability options, together with protected shopping, private information backup, anti-theft, and name blocking. Options not reviewed embrace an app advisor.
13. Pattern Micro Cell Safety 10.2
Trend Micro’s Mobile Security checks a lot of the characteristic bins: anti-theft, name blocking, textual content message filtering, protected shopping and anti-phishing safety, and parental management. Plus, there are a privateness scanner, messenger safety, and community safety. You may again up private information to an SD card or cloud storage, and any form of encryption is supported. The app achieved a 100 % detection price for brand spanking new malware in real-time in addition to for threats found prior to now 4 weeks. Usability was wonderful, too, with no drag on battery life or efficiency and nil false warnings.
The state of Android safety
Analysis from the AV-TEST Institute reveals that Android malware samples collected have elevated sizably yearly. In 2014, the whole was greater than 326 million. The subsequent 12 months, the malware tally reached greater than 470 million. In 2016, AV-TEST recorded practically 597.5 million samples—practically double the quantity from two years earlier. And in 2018, we’re taking a look at 838.14 million.
AV-TEST InstituteAV-TEST information reveals steep development of Android malware
By 2019, cellular malware will comprise about 33 % of all malware reported in customary exams, up from 7.5 % at present, in response to Gartner’s August 2017 “Market Guide for Mobile Threat Defense Solutions.” Although iOS units aren’t immune from malware, “The cellular malware menace is primarily coming from Android,” stated Dionisio Zumerle, analysis director at Gartner. The menace must be a priority for all firms with Android customers, he stated—particularly these with giant fleets of Android units or which might be in high-security verticals equivalent to finance, healthcare, and authorities.
Android malware continues to turn out to be stealthier and extra advanced, too. For instance, in October 2018, it was found that malware authors had been sneaking cellular banking Trojans into the Google Play retailer that masqueraded as system boosters and cleaners, battery managers, and horoscope apps. “These remotely managed Trojans are able to dynamically focusing on any apps discovered on the sufferer’s system with tailored phishing types,” in response to the IT safety agency ESET’s We Live Security weblog. “Other than this, they’ll intercept and redirect textual content messages to bypass SMS-based two-factor-authentication, intercept name logs, and obtain and set up different apps on the compromised system.”
The excellent news? “Android safety is enhancing, and the variety of safety purposes accessible for the platform is robust,” stated Nick FitzGerald, senior analysis fellow at ESET. “Meaning there’s a couple of set of hurdles the dangerous guys should clear to have a extremely profitable malware marketing campaign.”
