Download Mobile Security Report 2014 - AV

Product Review: Mobile Security ‐ July/August 2014
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Starting the program
After the initial configuration, the user is
taken to a clearly laid-out start screen. This
provides access to the individual components
of the suite. Active components show a green
tick (checkmark), inactive components have a
grey button. The Premium version of the
software can be tested for 30 days free of
charge; an email address has to be provided.
In the upper part of the screen, a tick
(checkmark) and the text "Maximum
Protection" are displayed. This might give a
false impression, as the antivirus is the only
active component, all the others are inactive.
ESET Mobile Security
ESET's Mobile Security is a security app that
provides antivirus and anti-theft components.
The Premium version also includes textmessage and call filtering, phishing
protection, system audit, extended theftprotection and a SIM guard. This year's
version has been enhanced with a web
interface.
Antivirus
The antivirus component lets the user scan
the system for malware. The depth of the scan
can be configured. As well as manual scans,
automatic scans can be defined. There is also
an "On-Charger Scan", which is triggered by
the connection of the device's charger. We
find this sensible. It is also possible to see
the quarantine, list of ignored threats, scan
logs and update history. Malware definitions
can be updated with a single tap. The
extended settings allow the activation of
automatic updates, (interval of between six
hours and two weeks), plus the configuration
of real-time protection and ESET's Live Grid.
The default action to be taken in the event of
malware discovery can also be set. There is a
choice of "Remove" or "Quarantine".
Installation
ESET Mobile Security was installed from the
Google Play Store. To start off with, the
licence agreement has to be accepted. In the
next stage, the user can agree to send
anonymous app-usage data to ESET. This
option is deactivated as standard. After this
comes the option of joining ESET’s Live Grid,
which is activated by default. This is a type of
early-warning system that uses data collected
from all participating users. The next step is
to decide whether ESET Mobile Security should
detect
PUAs
(potentially
unwanted
applications). Finally, the licence is checked,
and a message is displayed to inform us that
ESET is starting its first scan.
Anti-Theft
This has to be activated before it can be used,
but ESET provides a very convenient wizard for
this purpose. The first step is to create a
security password of at least four characters.
A password hint can also be added as a
reminder; ESET points out that short
passwords are less secure. In order to prevent
unauthorised deinstallation, ESET prompts the
user to make the program a device
administrator. After this, the current SIM card
is registered as trustworthy. The next step is
to enter the phone number of a friend or
other trusted person. The text to be displayed
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