The Android fans are being informed about a widely used series of apps that was found on the Google Play Store. Android is one of the most widely used software operating systems in the world, with over two billion devices running Google's mobile operating system each month. Android's massive user base has become the subject of some high-profile security warnings, such as the Judy malware campaign. The fear that has arisen is whether 36.5 million devices have been infected through dozens of apps located on the Google Play Store.
And now Android users have been alerted to a security threat again, but this time it doesn't revolve around a specific malicious campaign.
New research has discovered that the majority of Android antivirus apps found on the Google Play Store provided a shocking lack of protection for devices.
Approximately 250 apps claiming to provide cybersecurity for Android devices were tested by AV-Comparatives. They tested these apps against the 2,000 most common malware threats of 2018.
Out of the 250 apps tested, 138 apps managed to detect less than 30 percent of the threats.
The study said: “Some of the Android security products in our test blocked so few of the malware – in some cases literally none – that they cannot reasonably be described as anti-malware applications.”
Only 23 of the 250 tested applications managed to achieve a 100% detection rate for malicious software samples. And despite the poor performance of the majority of the tested applications, many had four or more stars on the Google Play Store.
Advising on how to choose an effective antivirus protection application, AV-Comparatives stated: “When it comes to selecting an Android security application, we recommend that you consider the following factors.”
“User ratings are clearly insufficient, as the vast majority of users will give their rating only based on user experience, without any idea whether the application provides effective protection. Some other reviews are fabricated by the developers.
“Most of the 250 apps we examined had a rating of 4 or higher on the Google Play Store. Likewise, the number of downloads was particularly high for several of them.
“A recent “last update” date also does not appear to be an indicator of good quality, as many low-rated apps had relatively recent updates.”
Added: “Because of this, we recommend using only apps from known, verified, and trustworthy vendors.”
In addition to participation in testing by independent testing institutes, sellers of this type will have a professional website with contact information and a privacy policy. It should also be possible to test the application – usually a trial use of a few weeks is allowed – before purchase. Users can then evaluate the usability and additional features of the product. Many suppliers offer very effective free versions of their applications.
Android antivirus apps that performed well included big names like AVG, McAfee, Kaspersky, Avast , and Trend Micro.
The following apps have a 100% malware detection rate: AhnLab, Antiy, Avast, AVG, AVIRA, Bitdefender, BullGuard, Chili Security, Emsisoft, ESET, ESTSoft, F‑Secure, G Data, Kaspersky Lab, McAfee, PSafe, Sophos, STOPzilla, Symantec, Tencent, Total Defense, Trend Micro and Trustwave.
