Do You Really Need Security Apps On Your Android device? | TechTree.com

Do You Really Need Security Apps On Your Android device?

We help you weigh the pros and cons of installing security apps on a smartphone.

 
Do You Really Need Security Apps On Your Android device?

Installing a security software on your personal computer is a norm, but the trend hasn't fully taken off among users of smartphones. The type of information we share and access through our mobile devices is of greater interest to cyber-criminals today than it has ever been. However, do that make it necessary for us to install security apps on smartphones?

Android is currently the largest mobile operating system, and while it is built on Linux, which is a fairly secure platform, security threats do exist. However, unlike with PCs where security software are primarily used to fend off threats, with smartphones and tablets these apps do a lot more than just detect and block malware.

The biggest security risk for any mobile device user still revolves around losing the device. All major Android security apps nowadays have features to remotely lock your phone and even wipe the device's memory clean. This however doesn't justify installing such apps, since Google already offers the service through its Android Device Manager.

Installing security apps on Android devices could become essential when sideloading software from 3rd party vendors (not Google's Play Store), which are often bloated with malware. Despite Google's attempts to keep its store as clean as possible, apps which pose a security threat still do exist. There is a simple fix to this, which is installing apps only from trusted developers on the Play Store.

Another way in which the security of your mobile device can be compromised is via browser and email clients. Just as with PCs, these devices are susceptible to attack from information stealing threats which get downloaded through cookies and files from unknown emails. If you aren't an avid user of your smartphone to access the depths of the web, the level of threat you face is massively decreased.

Although making financial transactions on mobile devices may not be as big in India as it is overseas, the trend of online shopping using smartphones and tablets is indeed growing. This does pose a threat as miscreants can log your credit and debit card numbers, as well as other valuable information. Using apps from trusted stores to shop goes a long way since most of them value your security and have built in features that keep your information private.

As of now the use of security apps on Android devices is largely dependent on the kind of information you access and share. While they may seem unnecessary for casual users, security apps are highly recommended for power users who feel the need to infinitely mod or make full use of the Android platform.

While keeping your information safe may be one of the pros of using security apps, there are a few cons too. Firstly such apps eat into some of the processing power of your phone, and with lower power devices this could mean the difference between laggy graphics and smooth brilliance. Second, to access the full host of benefits from security apps, you often have to pay for them, but there are free options available on the Android market. Lastly, if you aren't paying for your apps, the only way makers can earn money is by selling consumer information to advertising companies, if this is something that annoys you then it's best to rethink how to ward off security threats on your Android device.


Tags : Mobile Phones, Android, Internet, Security

 
News Corner