Topic: Why you might consider a mobile security app

[abelapolo]

Mobile security apps are just as important as desktop security programs. This is because any device that connects to the internet is vulnerable to threats. That’s the opinion of the head of IT at Which?, anyway.

The creation of new malware is prolific. Indeed, a whopping 18 million strains of malware were created in just one three-month period last year, according to October 2016 estimates from online security film PandaLabs. That’s around 200,000 new threats a day – or more than two per second.

Mobile security apps are just as vital as desktop security programs
To protect your phone or tablet from these threats, you may find sense in downloading a mobile security app. It won’t take up much storage space, but you’ll still want it to do a good job.

We’ve just tested a whole bunch of the most popular mobile security apps, and found that some do a sterling job of identifying and ejecting malware from your device.

The worst, on the other hand, are as good at catching malicious files as you or I may be at catching a wet fish with our fingertips.

Can a mobile security app protect you from scams?

We’ve all heard the stories of people who’ve received an email claiming to be from their bank or HMRC. They’ve then been taken to a bogus website through a dodgy link that steals their data – and, by consequence, their money.

phishing
We should all exercise due prudence when receiving emails, such as double-checking the email address from which the message was sent. It’s no bad thing to contact the official organisation directly to verify the validity of the email, either. But scammers aren’t an unintelligent bunch, and it can be easy to fall for well-crafted and well-designed emails.

Some apps can sniff out these phishing scams and stop you from entering identity-thieving websites. Encouragingly, we’ve found a few apps that excel here.

But some apps with anti-phishing claims have disappointed us by detecting exactly zero of the scams we ran past our device.

What else can a mobile security app do?

It can be very stressful when you lose your phone or tablet – or indeed if they’re stolen. Especially as many of us keep a lot of personal information on our device, such as bank account details and social media profiles.

Some apps have anti-theft features to help you out in times like these. For instance, some let you locate your phone remotely via the web or SMS – and even wipe all personal data from it.

remotelocation_v2
You might also want to keep an eye out for ‘uninstall protection’, which means you can’t delete the app without a password. Or Sim lock, which locks your phone down when the Sim card is replaced.

Head to our guide on how to choose the best mobile security app to learn more about what mobile security apps can do.

Free or paid-for?

Please excuse the assumption, but we all love free things.

We have no complaints that there are free security apps that you can download for your phone, even though they’re more likely to have in-app adverts. We do take umbrage, however, when any security app falls short of protecting your phone from malware.

freevspaidThere’s no clear-cut answer to the question of whether you should download free or paid-for mobile security. Paid-for mobile security is likely to include more features, and more assistance from the security company. But it all depends on the range of security you’re looking for.

We’ve tested both free and paid-for mobile security apps. It’s worth noting that we’ve found some free mobile security apps that are more ruthless in their intolerance of malware than some options with a price tag.

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