Norton Mobile Security for Android
MRP: Rs 599


Antivirus and security suites have always been associated with computers because it has traditionally been the medium of connecting to the internet. The purpose of this software is to protect the user from viruses and malware wreaking havoc on the system or worse, stealing sensitive information such as credit card info. With more and more people switching to mobile phones for activities such as online transactions, securing these devices has now become a high priority. Needless to say, software applications to protect smart phones from malware have recently become available. Norton Mobile Security is one such application to protect your Android smart phone against attacks.

Installation
Installation is fairly straightforward; all you need to do is to point your Android browser to http://www.norton.com/nms and download your copy of Norton Mobile Security. Unfortunately, there is no free or trial version available for a test run. On contacting Symantec, I was informed that the free LITE version is currently not available for India.

 

On installation, you are asked to provide an activation code, which has to be done within three days of installation.

 

The 1-year period subscription begins once you activate the product.

 

Features
The first option on the main screen is "Set Up Anti-Theft". As the name suggests, you can set it up to report the status of your phone such as its location, to a set of numbers from your contact list, which can be specified here. Anti-Theft can is protected by a password, which has to be set the first time you configure this feature. The protection offered by this feature includes the possibility to remotely locate the phone, remotely lock the SIM or even the complete phone, and remotely wipe data on the phone. Of course, the stolen phone has to be connected to the internet for any of these to be put to use. In case, the thief tries to access this feature to set it to his \ her advantage, there is an option to automatically wipe all the phone data after 10 unsuccessful attempts to enter the password.

The second option Anti-Malware lets you scan the phone for malware already present due to installations done prior to installing Norton Mobile Security. While the automatic protection is set to On by default, a Scan Now button lets you scan manually as well. Scanning options are limited; you can choose to scan just the memory or include the SD card as well by selecting a check box. There is no option to choose between the files to be scanned such as only executables, or all, as is present in competing products.

 

Even a complete scan is unusually fast when compared to competing products. Scanning did not yield any malware or virus in our case. Because there is no option to configure for the action to be taken when a malware is detected, we do not know if it allows the user to take option or does so by itself. Memory consumption for idle and scanning states is as below:

 

While low-end phones have call blocking features, it is never found in mid and high-end phones. Call & SMS Blocking option in Norton Mobile Security lets you  add a list of numbers from you do not wish to receive calls or SMS. You can either choose these numbers from your contact list or input them manually. You can also configure whether only Calls, only SMS, or both are to be blocked. However, you cannot configure these options for each number, and they apply to all the numbers in the list. While you will no longer be bothered by these numbers, you can monitor blocked calls and SMS from this option if you need to.

 

One of the most important features of this software, Web Protection is present the bottom of the main screen. Enabling this option gives you real time protection against fraudulent websites by blocking access to such sites. Malware from such sites are known to stealthily install on the mobile phone to steal personal information while you surf the web. A stable internet connection is required for this feature to work because it accesses the online database of URLs to determine if the site you are about it visit is safe. Unfortunately, this very useful option only protects you as long as you surf using the default Android web browser. We hope that Symantec will consider extending support to not just third-party browsers but any background attempt to send or receive data over the internet via a patch or in an upcoming version.

 

Verdict
Norton Mobile Security is not just an anti-malware, but it also protects your personal data in case your phone gets stolen. While many low-end phones have features to track stolen phones or block calls and SMS, it is a real irony that these important features are missing in more expensive smart phones. Norton Mobile Security brings these features in such Android phones, thus allowing you to not just track the phone's location, but to also remotely deactivate it or completely wipe the data present on the phone. Protection against fraudulent websites is an important feature in addition to the scanning feature, although it would have been better to not restrict it to just the default Android web browser and cover any attempt to send or receive data over the internet. Norton Mobile Security is available at Rs 599, which is not too much to pay for a sound night's sleep.

Features: 3.5/5
Performance: 3/5
Ease Of Use: 4/5
Value For Money: 3.5/5
MoJo: 3.5/5

Overall Rating: 3.5/5

TAGS: Apps, Security, Android, Jayesh