Android Phones -> Security

[bob4432]

Has it come to the time that we need antivirus on our phones?




Moved from OT.

Anandtech Administrator
KeithTalent

 

[rudeguy]

Install lookout and don't worry

 

[gdansk]

step 1: don't install applications.
step 2: root your phone.
step 3: edit your hosts file to block adverts.
step 4: Now you don't need an antivirus.

You're welcome. Seriously though, just read the permissions of the application. If it's asking for things it shouldn't: don't install it.

 

[Crono]

You don't even need antivirus on a desktop computer, let alone Android, and I wouldn't want to rely on an antivirus app, anyway.

 

[Crono]

step 1: don't install applications.
step 2: root your phone.
step 3: edit your hosts file to block adverts.
step 4: Now you don't need an antivirus.

You're welcome. Seriously though, just read the permissions of the application. If it's asking for things it shouldn't: don't install it.

I'll add use a firewall like AFWall+. Good way to control network access of even benign apps.

 

[KeithP]

Has it come to the time that we need antivirus on our phones?

No.

-KeithP

 

[Commodus]

Why would you root your phone if you really place a high value on security? By definition, you're bypassing restrictions meant to prevent rogue software from wreaking havoc on your device. (Root being root-level access, or all permissions open).

At any rate... even on Android, you're usually fine without antivirus software. Just get apps from the Play Store when possible, and install non-Play Store apps only from sources you trust.

 

[gdansk]

Why would you root your phone if you really place a high value on security? By definition, you're bypassing restrictions meant to prevent rogue software from wreaking havoc on your device. (Root being root-level access, or all permissions open).

At any rate... even on Android, you're usually fine without antivirus software. Just get apps from the Play Store when possible, and install non-Play Store apps only from sources you trust.

I don't know if you've ever rooted your phone. But an application has to request elevation to root. Unless the application bypasses SElinux, you're fine.

 

[Red Storm]

Nope.

 

[RossMAN]

Don't install or download sketchy stuff from unknown sources?

Profit.

 

[sweenish]

The short and long answers are "NO."

If someone told you that, they are a source not to be trusted.

 

[techie_vintage]

step 1: don't install applications.
step 2: root your phone.
step 3: edit your hosts file to block adverts.
step 4: Now you don't need an antivirus.

You're welcome. Seriously though, just read the permissions of the application. If it's asking for things it shouldn't: don't install it.

Hi!
Can you please tell that How can we edit this host file after rooting?

 

[jhu]

Hi!
Can you please tell that How can we edit this host file after rooting?

Your phone's /system partition is probably read-only, so first you'll have to make it read-write. Then download a hosts file that directs all the ad domains to 127.0.0.1 (or similar). That's it.

1) mount -o remount,rw /system
2) get the hosts file from here
3) copy new hosts file to /system/etc
4) optionally remount /system to read-only: mount -o remount,ro /system

 

[sweenish]

OR, since you have to be rooted anyway.

Install Adaway.

 

[poofyhairguy]

OP, since this thread started we got the answer from the horses mouth:

In 2014, according to Verify Apps data collected by Google and ignoring rooting apps that were intentionally installed by users, fewer than 0.15 percent of Applications installed from outside of Google Play to U.S. English devices were classified as Potentially Harmful Applications. Given the built-in protection provided by Verify Apps and the low frequency of occurrence of installation of PHAs, the potential security benefit of an additional security solution is very small.

http://www.androidcentral.com/android-security-qa-googles-adrian-ludwig

So avoid Anti-virus apps.

 

[jhu]

OR, since you have to be rooted anyway.

Install Adaway.

Oh sure, do it the easy way.