Anyone have any security suite/antivirus software for Android that they recommend?

[britechguy]

Just got a call from a husband and wife pair who appear to have the same infection on their respective Android devices, which I virtually never see. I intend to do a nuke and pave with both, but if there's something that actually works that could be installed to at least kinda-sorta prevent this sort of thing, I'd put it on afterward.

So, if anyone has suggestions, I'm all ears.

 

[DRPCNZ]

I use Eset on my Android phone and have done for a number of years. Not free but I haven't had any attacks that I'm aware of

 

[GTP]

This ^^
The only ones you can trust on Google Play Store are ESET and Emsisoft Mobile Security.
You are taking a huge risk by using any other.

 

[britechguy]

Thanks gentlemen.

I have also received recommendations for Bitdefender from elsewhere. Is there a specific reason to avoid it? If so, I'd like to know what it is/those are.

 

[GTP]

Thanks gentlemen.

I have also received recommendations for Bitdefender from elsewhere. Is there a specific reason to avoid it? If so, I'd like to know what it is/those are.

While Bitdefender is generally a trusted security solution on the PC platform, some of the issues I've encountered with their mobile counterparts and other similar products (including certain versions of Bitdefender) include intrusive ads, bundled software, or constant redirects to "preferred vendors," which can be quite frustrating.
In some cases, there have also been reports of counterfeit versions that end up causing more harm than good.

Even with tools like "Play Protect" that claim to verify apps, I've seen instances where clients face worse issues after installing certain security solutions, rather than resolving their original problem.

Case in point: My Daughter "thought" she had a virus on her Android phone. It was displaying some rather odd behaviour and a restart of the device would have perhaps rectified the odd behaviour.
She went against my advice and downloaded an antivirus program from the Play Store. It totally borked her system. So she downloaded another to try to rectify the issue....yeah that didn't work either...

I have heard similar reports from clients. It gets to a point where a total reset is needed, and in my Daughters case it was warranted.

It's always worth being cautious with any software, especially if it's bundled with other unsolicited apps or behaviors.

The two mentioned by me and also @DRPCNZ are the only ones I personally would trust.

Edit to add: Emsisoft Mobile Security uses the 'Bitdefender Engine" as well as their own Scanning Engine (as does their desktop products for Home and Enterprise). So you get the best of both worlds with Emsisoft Mobile Security.
And it's also home grown in New Zealand....

 

[britechguy]

@GTP

Thanks for the comprehensive response. I suspect I am going to have to do a hard reset on these two devices (and would actually prefer to do so, really) and just set them up afresh with the same Google accounts. From what I've been able to determine so far, everything should come back with the possible exception of SMS data (I haven't been to see these clients in person. That was supposed to happen earlier this evening but other events intervened on their side).

I have never encountered an Android device infected with any kind of malware and I suspect this, like almost all infections these days, occurred because of the user "inviting it in." That being the case, I'd love to put on some kind of security that does "on demand" scanning automatically when any attempt to install any app is made.

I'll likely go with Emsisoft, since this couple has limited income.

 

[timeshifter]

How can you tell the device has an infection?

 

[britechguy]

How can you tell the device has an infection?

Well, the client tells me that moments after powering up the phone they keep getting pop-ups all over the place and that, oddly enough, while they can place calls they cannot receive them.

Like I said, I've not visited in person, yet, but the description provided just screams an infection of some kind. I like to have my "most likely ducks" in a row before visits whenever I can.

 

[DRPCNZ]

Thanks gentlemen.

I have also received recommendations for Bitdefender from elsewhere. Is there a specific reason to avoid it? If so, I'd like to know what it is/those are.

Well ESET's award-winning detection engine protects users by proactively scanning the Google Play Store, finding and analyzing threats to stay ahead of cybercriminals

 

[britechguy]

Just to close the loop . . .

This phone definitely had some sort of malware on it, but I wouldn't call it a virus. You couldn't even keep it afloat for 60 seconds of direct interaction before ads started being served up that completely blocked any functional use of the device at all. Luckily, I was able to get 30 second snippets, particularly since the client had no idea what his Google password was and there was no way we were going to get back his email, contacts, calendar, etc., without that same Google Account set up on the device. I was able to recover the account and reset the password, via the phone, in those little windows of functional time I could get when it first started up.

I tried looking in apps to see if anything screamed out at me as the culprit, but nothing did, and it was clear that a slow nuking was not the best way to go.

A hard reset and reconfiguration of the device with the same account as had been on it, and choosing NOT to recover from Google Backup, got things back in order again.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

Thanks gentlemen.

I have also received recommendations for Bitdefender from elsewhere. Is there a specific reason to avoid it? If so, I'd like to know what it is/those are.

There are actually quite a few legit trustworthy and excellent AV options for smart phones available in the app stores.

Strong reason to go towards Bitdefender I'd say...
A bit over 20 years ago we became Eset partners....selling their antivirus software (known as NOD32 back then)...and sold a lot of it, made it to "Gold partner status". Great great product...back then. Occasionally had some quirks, bugs.....

...when we matured enough to start using an RMM, back when we went with N-Central, and at first it had integrated Panda antivirus so we tried a little of that, but mostly stayed with Eset. But then N-Central switched its primary integrated antivirus to Bitdefender...so the clients we had on Panda...got switched to that. Started noticing it did better than Eset. Steadily moved more and more clients off of Eset and into Bitdefender. Had a better experience with Bitdefender, less problems, seemed to find/stop more than Eset did.

Bitdefender has versions that support iOS as well as Android, and it is a legit option in the Google Play Store.

In the past year...we've switched again,...to SentinelOne. Our experience with SentinelOne is that it's a very good product also...very strong. I love the central management console MUCH more than Bitdefenders (we use that to manage all of our clients that run it) So there is another strong option that is in the Google Play Store.

And many clients I have on 365bp.....I have on Defender...which is an option for iOS and Android, however...if the client is on a 365 plan that includes licenses for it (such as business premium).

There is one...and only one...antivirus testing site that I've trusted and refer to over the past couple of decades, AV Comparatives

Home

www.av-comparatives.org

They have a section for home products, and a section for the business version of products. I refer to the business section...but the results are quite similar..they just include some more information on the centralized management aspect of the business versions.

Their testing is unbiased....no sponsorship from vendors. I also love their "real world tests"....the methods they use in that test are excellent.

If you look at which brands consistently take the #1 spot over the years...it's Bitdefender.

 

[Multi-Visions]

Just got a call from a husband and wife pair who appear to have the same infection on their respective Android devices, which I virtually never see. I intend to do a nuke and pave with both, but if there's something that actually works that could be installed to at least kinda-sorta prevent this sort of thing, I'd put it on afterward.

So, if anyone has suggestions, I'm all ears.

Emsisoft Android, very cheap and very good powered by Bitdefender. AMAZING! and the best software distributor sels them. Ask they are called Multi-Visions.