Technology-Headlines

by George Heymann

technology-headlines.com

Avast Mobile Security software came out of beta yesterday and is now available as a free download from the Android Market. The avast! Application features full-featured antivirus and anti-theft security software for your Android phone.

The program helps protect personal data by automating virus scans and providing automated alerts when browsing potentially harmful sites. Even if you believe that anti-virus software for Android is a solution searching for a problem. The avast! Application provides excellent anti-theft features that allow you to activate security features remotely using SMS commands to control GPS tracking, phone locking, wiping, audio monitoring and a host of other useful features.

The program integrates features from the excellent previously stand-alone, paid application “Theft-Aware.” The security software portion of avast! Mobile Security alone make installing the avast! software a no brainer for me.

Complete avast! Mobile Security features list include:

• Antivirus
• Performs on-demand scans of all installed apps and memory card content, as well as on-access scans of apps upon first execution. Options for scheduling scans, virus definition updates, uninstalling apps, deleting files, or reporting a false-positive to our virus lab.
• Privacy Report
• Scans and displays (grid) access rights and intents of installed apps, identifying potential privacy risks, so you know how much info you are really providing to each app.
• SMS/Call Filtering
• Filter calls and/or messages from contact list using set parameters based on day(s) of the week, start time, and end time. Blocked calls redirect to voicemail, while blocked messages are stored via filter log. Also possible to block outgoing calls.
• App Manager
• Similar to Windows Task Manager, it shows a list of running apps and their size (MB), CPU load, used memory, and number of threads and services – with an option to stop or uninstall.
• Web Shield
• Part of the avast! WebRep cloud, the avast! Web Shield for Android scans each URL that loads and warns you if the browser loads a malware-infected URL.
• Firewall
• Add a firewall to stop hackers. Disable an app’s internet access when on WiFi and 3G and roaming mobile networks. (Works only on rooted phones.)
• avast! Anti-Theft
• App Disguiser
• After downloading avast! Anti-Theft, user can choose a custom name that disguises the app (e.g. call it “Pinocchio game”) so that it is even harder for thieves to find and remove.
• Stealth Mode
• Once anti-theft is enabled, the app icon is hidden in the app tray, leaving no audio or other trace on the target phone – the app is ‘invisible’, making it difficult for thieves to detect or remove.
• Self-Protection
• Extremely difficult for thieves to remove (especially on rooted phones), Anti-Theft protects itself from uninstall by disguising its components with various self-preservation techniques. On rooted phones it is able to survive hard-resets and can even disable the phone’s USB port.
• Battery Save
• Anti-Theft only launches itself and runs when it needs to perform tasks. This preserves battery life and makes it very difficult for thieves to shut it down.
• SIM-Card-Change Notification
• If stolen and a different (unauthorized) SIM card inserted, the phone can lock, activate siren, and send you notification (to remote device) of the phone’s new number and geo-location.
• Trusted SIM Cards List
• Establish a ‘white list’ of approved SIM cards that can be used in the phone without triggering a theft alert. You can also easily clear the trusted SIM cards list, to leave the one present in the phone as the only trusted one.
• Remote Settings Change
• A setup wizard guides the user through the installation process on rooted phones. No command-line knowledge is necessary to install Anti-Theft rooted. Also supports upgrading.
• Remote Features
• SMS commands provide you the following REMOTE options for your ‘lost’ (or stolen) phone:
• Siren, Lock, custom Display properties, Locate, Memory Wipe, covert Calling, Forwarding, “Lost” Notification, SMS Sending, History, Restart, and more.

Related articles

• Mobile security software will be essential for smartphone users in the near future
• Time is nigh for a smartphone security boost

Filed under: Android, Quick look, Services, Software, Android, Android Market, Android phone, ant-virus software, Antivirus, Avast mobile security, avast!, gps tracking, mobile security for Android, Remote, SIM cards, SMS, Subscriber Identity Module, task manager, Theft-Aware, Universal Serial Bus, USB port, Wi-Fi, WiFi, Windows Task Manager