Top 5 Free Antivirus Software for Android Security

The growing popularity of Android devices is clearly visible to one and all. It has grown exponentially and likely to continue the same in the coming years as well. Based on the 2013 records, it has been expected that by the year 2014, Android device shipments will reach 1 billion units. A platform so popular is sure to attract both good and bad. 

Developers are trying their best to develop more interesting apps for the Google Play Store. Currently there are 1,100,000 apps available at the Play Store. In 2013 alone, 50 billion downloads were generated. Therefore, it is not very difficult to assume how with the exponential growth in the usage of Android devices will also increase the use of apps in the coming year.

While on one hand, the popularity of Android has indulged developers to design and develop Android apps, there on the other hand hackers are also putting their best efforts to exploit this medium to take advantage of careless Android users.

How Vulnerable Android Devices Are?

If you are an Android user, then you too must be using the Play Store to download apps either for gaming or utility purpose. If you want that through the medium of Android, no one should exploit your data or information or make you a victim of ID theft and other felonies against your privacy, then it is important that you realize how vulnerable your Android devices are.

The popularity of Android OS has turned it into hacker’s one of the favorite targets. Development of viruses, Trojans, spyware, exploits and fake apps targeting the Android OS are on constant rise to cause big threat to your data. To guard your data from these kinds of threats, you can easily get “Antivirus apps for Android.” But do you know that actually no virus can attack an Android OS as Android apps work under a “sandboxed” security scheme. 

 

The OS faces more threats from Trojans, spyware, exploits and fake apps, so when you read Android Antivirus Program, it is actually not a program for viruses but a complete mobile security app. There are both paid and free apps in this line. You can easily get some of the best mobile security apps for free. 

Following are five popular Free Antivirus for Android Security

CM (CleanMaster) Security 

•   Runs as a stand-alone program
•   A complete and effective security suite in a small package
•   Supports full SD Card scan option
•  It does Malware scanning beyond APKs
•   It is RAM-friendly
•   It has a small installation size
•  Version: 1.2.0
•   Download file size: 2.8 MB
•   License type: Unrestricted freeware
•  System requirements: Android 2.2 and  above

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware 

•           Runs as a stand-alone program
•          Easy to use
•          It has a fast and effective anti-malware engine
•          Equipped with useful set of privacy tools
•          Not very much battery-friendly
•          Require maintaining manual update check
•          Version: 1.03.0.5000
•          Download file size: 6.9 MB
•          License type: Unrestricted freeware
•          System requirements: Android 2.3 and above

Avast! Mobile Security & Antivirus

 

•          Runs as a stand-alone program
•          A strong anti-malware engine
•          Integrated with a complete set of protection tools
•          Advanced Anti-Theft options
•          Anti-theft alerts through SMS and online commands
•          Firewall needs a rooted device to work 
•          Advanced features to work on a rooted phone
•          To use the online anti-theft tool, creating Avast! free account is mandatory
•          Version: 3.0.7387
•          Download file size: 7.3 MB
•          License type: Feature limited freeware
•          System requirements: Android 2.1 and above

Comodo Mobile Security

•          Runs as a stand-alone program
•          It has awesome and strong anti-malware engine
•          Clean and simple interface
•          Highly useful anti-theft features
•          It supports personal data backup to SD Card
•          Useful set of tools
•          It lacks a web protection option
•          No specific blocking for Wi-Fi, 3G or roaming
•          Version: 2.4.5
•          Download file size: 8.3 MB
•          License type: Unrestricted freeware
•          System requirements: Android 2.2 and above 

Lookout Security & Antivirus

 

•          Runs as a stand-alone program
•          Offers fast protection against malware
•          Supports Contacts Data Backup & Restore functions
•          Good at anti-theft component
•          Has a special “My phone” function that requires creating a free account at mylookout.com
•          Most of the advanced features are available on paid version only
•          Version: Varies with device - 8.xx
•          Download file size: Around 7 MB
•          License type: Feature limited freeware
•          System requirements: Android 2.1 above (also available for iOS)

No mobile security or antivirus app can give you 100% security if you personally don’t get cautious of what you are downloading, app’s permissions criteria, the source of the app, etc. It is always safe to download app from your Google Play Store. Apart from that while selecting your antivirus for Android phone, keep a check of its anti-malware engine, the extra protection it is offering, USSD exploit protection, and extra tools integrated.

Latest Computer Viruses Vol. 3L – Qresolve online Virus Encyclopedia

Continued from our last post — Virus Encyclopedia vol.3K

 In the last volume, we talked about exploits and Trojans and how these can compromise your PC performance. In this volume also, we will continue providing useful information to the readers about such exploits and Trojans that can not only degrade your computer performance but also trick you to spend money into buying fake antivirus license. 

1. Exploit.SinaDLoader.B

Introduction

Discovered by Daniel Chipiristeanu, a well-known virus researcher on 3^rd September 2008, Exploit.SinaDLoader.B is a medium intensity malware that spreads at a medium rate and imparts medium damaging impact on your computer. This malware gets hosted at different websites and therefore can make inroad to your computer through different channels. 

Symptoms

The presence of this malware imparts just very few noticeable symptoms. Hence, its detection often becomes a bit difficult. However, it’s a malware that gets hosted at various malicious websites and hence, can get easily executed on your system. 

Technical Description:

This exploit adopts new trend to infect computer and tries out a number of exploits in order to infect the user. If one of them doesn't work out, then it tries out other exploits.

Snapshot Viewer Control.1, DownloadAndInstall, Adodb.Stream, ShockwaveFlash.ShockwaveFlash.9, UUUpgrade ActiveX Control module, RealPlayer, Baidu Search Bar and Xunlei Thunder are the major exploits that Exploit.SinaDLoader.B users to infect the PCs. All of these exploits are actually the same file with varying description. It is a small downloader (1900 bytes) packed with FSG. It downloads 5640ghi?.com/max1.exe file. Hence, for the downloading of the "final" malware, a long line of scripts/executable is first required to be downloaded. Hence, usually the spreading of this malware is not very fast. But in every way, it’s dangerous to your computer. Hence, keep your system antivirus updated to fight against Exploit.SinaDLoader.B.

2. Trojan.HTML.IFrame.F

Introduction

Discovered by virus researcher Daniel Chipiristeanu on 3^rd September 2008, Trojan.HTML.IFrame.F is a medium-intensity malware. It spreads at a medium rate and imparts medium damaging impact on your computer. It is basically an iFrame inserted into clean WebPages code.

Symptoms

The presence of malware doesn’t impart any warning symptoms. It shows up clear symptoms only after getting your computer fully compromised. Hence, it gets very difficult to know the presence of the malware beforehand. It can only be fixed after it has already done some degree of damage to your system.     

Technical Description

It is just an invisible iFrame that resides hidden inside clean web pages code. These iFrames occur at the end of the initially clean HTML code. The presence of this iFrame redirects the malware to another infected website. The details of this malicious site are given below:

• Domain Name: orentraff.cn
• ROID: 20071002s10001s83561693-cn
• Domain Status: ok
• Registrant Organization: NizovGrisha
• Registrant Name: NizovGrisha
• Administrative Email: [blocked]
• Name Server: ns1.everydns.net
• Name Server:ns2.everydns.net
• Registration Date: 2007-10-02 05:14
• Expiration Date: 2008-10-02 05:14

This site has an adult title and it hosts 9 adult pictures. It also hosts a couple of malware infection campaigns that include rogue antivirus software which are basically XP Antivirus variants. The list includes Trojan Spamer Tedroo , Trojan Exchanger, Trojan.Spy.Zeus, and many others.

The trick adopted by this malware is simple. It projects a website with otherwise clean main page and then injects the real infections through from a CGI (Common Gateway Interface) script with the following url:

 [infected_site]/in.cgi?[number_for_infection_campaign]. 

3. Trojan.PWS.Tupai.A

Introduction

Discovered by Mihai Razvan Benchea, a well-known virus researcher on 1^st September 2008, Trojan.PWS.Tupai.A is a Trojan with medium damaging capacity. It also spreads at a medium rate. It is not a hard to detect Trojan and usually makes inroad to a computer through vulnerable programs like SecureFx, IpSwitch, FTPWare, Rhine Software, FileZilla, Total Commander, BulletProof Ftp, GlobalScape Ftp, CoffeCup Fp, Ftp Commander Pro, Smart Ftp, Leap Ftp and Far.

Symptoms

The presence of this malware lead to the presence of setupapi.dll files in the folder of Internet Explorer.

Technical Description

Trojan.PWS.Tupai.A resides in Internet Explorer folder bearing the setupapi.dll name. The Trojan is harmful because it steals passwords of ftps servers. To get access to the passwords, the malware searches all well known ftp programs installed on your computer. Depending on what ftp programs are installed in your computer, it tries to decrypt passwords and addresses of ftp servers. After the decryption is complete it encrypts it using its own algorithm. Then it sends the data to http://85.225.[hidden].198/ftpg/ftp.php.

4. Trojan.FakeAlert.ACR

Introduction

Discovered by Dana Stanut, a famous virus researcher on 29^th August 2008, Trojan.FakeAlert.ACR spread at a highly alarming rate and it has a medium rate damaging impact. 

Symptoms

Presence of Trojan.FakeAlert.ACR, imposes the following symptoms:

• Without user consent, desktop background suddenly changes.
• The desktop shows an alerting image that the user’s computer is infected
• blphc9pvj0e1ac.scr, lphc9pvj0e1ac.exe, phc9pvj0e1ac.bmp files are found in %SYSDIR%:

Technical Description:

On being executed, the malware drops the following files in %SYSDIR%:

• blphc9pvj0e1ac.scr
• lphc9pvj0e1ac.exe
• phc9pvj0e1ac.bmp

The program gets executed itself at every system startup by adding the following registry key:

• HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

From http://antivirusxp-2008.net, it downloads a rogue antivirus. On being installed, this antivirus will give fake alerts to the user notifying him about false infections detected on his computer. By doing it misleads the users to buy the licensed version of some malicious software.

To keep your PC protected, you should always keep antivirus program updated and should also become aware of the symptoms related to these Trojans so that you can take quick preventive actions.

 

Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus (2014 Edition)

Samsung has launched its 2014 Edition of ATIV Book 9. It’s an improved machine that has a 15.6-inch screen. Looks wise also, it is new and this ultraportable device is powered by Intel Core i5 (Haswell) @ 1.6GHz. Available for $1,899, the device has stellar looks and the Samsung claims it to be capable of delivering 40 percent longer battery life than the last year model. To know what more this new Samsung laptop has in its store and what its limitation are, let us have a quick review of the device.

Design

Like its successor, the ATIV Book 9 2014 edition doesn’t have a blue colored aluminum chassis. Rather it has a stately black finish. With its classy black coating, the device looks stylish and its beauty is further enhanced by shiny chrome lining at the edges. However, Samsung could have done something to protect this beautiful aluminum body from picking up fingerprints so easily. Keeping this little wart aside, it can be said that rest everything pertaining to the design aspect of this new premium Samsung device is attractive and it’s a device to be hold with proud. It’s not that light-weighted because it features a 15.6 inch screen. But yet considering the screen size, 4 pounds is still an easy to carry weight. It’s outer body size measures 14.73 x 9.84 x 0.63 inches. Overall, it’s slimmer and lighter than the 15-inch MacBook Pro (4.5 pounds, 14.1 x 9.7 x 0.71 inches).    

Performance:

Powered by Intel Core i5 (Haswell) @ 1.6GHz, 4GB RAM and 128 GB SSD, the device is strong in its performance. Moreover, it comes with integrated Intel HD Graphics 4400, everything over the display gets very clear. On various lab testing by renowned firms, the device performed very well clearly showcasing the strong performance of the CPU that is processing things quite fast and smooth. Even when tried for Internet browsing, the experience was satisfactory. Have a look at the performance of different component of the device. 

·         Display:

As we all know Samsung ATIV Book 9 2013 Edition was a great device in terms of display.  While reviewed only on the basis of its display or screen quality, the 2013 Edition easily and universally scored 5 stars owing to its 3200x1800 resolutions over a 13 inch screen with Retina display. In the display aspect the ATIV 2014 Edition has undergone a bit of a downgrade. The new Samsung laptop has 15.6 inch screen with 1920x1080 resolutions and it decently manages to offer great display. Moreover, the 2014 Edition offers 10-point touch capabilities and also the notebook supports vibrant color and sharp features. It has generous 178 degree viewing angles and hence even from edges clarity can be enjoyed.

·         Keyboard

On mounting the lid of the laptop, you get to gaze on a beautiful black colored aluminum interior featuring a keyboard of full-size island-style. It has the beautiful large chrome-lined touchpad. The keyboard has been revamped by Samsung and must say the brand has made a good effort and succeeded in giving its users a more comfortable typing experience.

·         Ports:

In terms of connectivity, the device has been supported with all requisite ports. It has a pair of USB 3.0 ports, one USB 2.0 port, SD card reader, HDMI, mini-VGA, Ethernet (with adapter), a combination of headphone/microphone jack and a security lock slot.

·         Audio:

Samsung 2014 Edition of ATIV Book 9 Plus is the first notebook to have lossless audio. This is a new technology that reproduces exactly similar sound as that of the original audio stream but adds life and nuance to it. Thus the MP3 files get compressed. The technology works well and the resultant output sound is surely the high quality music to ears with all its clarity.

·         Battery:

In terms of battery, Samsung 2014 Edition of ATIV Book 9 Plus offers impressive 8 hours and 6 minutes battery life. Which is although not very extraordinary but it gives descent support even with browsing and watching movies. 

Technical Specification

·         Type: Ultraportable

·         Screen size: 15.6 inches

·         Screen resolution: 1920 x 1080

·         Screen type: LCD (Active, Color)

·         Touchscreen: Capacitive

·         Bundled OS: Windows (8)

·         CPU family: Intel Core i5 (Haswell) @ 1.6GHz

·         System RAM: 4 GB

·         Hard drive(s): SSD (128 GB)

·         Maximum battery life: Up to 14 hours

·         Weight: 3.92 lb

·         Announced: January 6, 2014

·         WiFi: 802.11 b, g, n (2.4, 5 GHz)

·         GPU: Integrated Intel HD Graphics 4400

·         Video outputs: HDMI

·         Dimensions/weight - 320 x 223 x 13.6mm / 1.39kg

Wrap Up

With an improved processor than its predecessor, Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus is all proficient of delivering strong performance, better speed and longer battery life. It has a charming design that can be flaunted by the owner for its design as well as performance. It’s ultraportable device hence good for on go usage. In comparison to its predecessor although the display feature has undergone a down grade but when analyzed at an individual level, one won’t find any deficiency in its display quality as well. Overall, it’s a worth buy.