Do Smartphones Come With Antivirus?
Given that we use our smartphones to connect to the internet and download software and files, it makes sense that they are exposed to malicious activity. So, do our smartphones come with antivirus software, or do you need to manually install a program yourself?
Do You Need Antivirus on Your Phone?
In short, you should have some form of security software present and active on your smartphone, be it built-in or manually installed.
Smartphones can now support millions of different apps, connect to the internet, use Bluetooth and NFC, and give us access to social media on-the-go. There’s not much you’re able to’t do on a smartphone, but this wide range of capabilities makes them vulnerable to malware. Cybercriminals can exploit your phone both physically and remotely—to steal data, monitor activity, control the device itself, or otherwise.
For instance, you can send and receive emails via your smartphone, which exposes you toemail-based phishing campaigns, which are often used to spread malware. Additionally, you can download any number of different files and apps onto your phone, which are also popular malware vectors. Many of us also store very valuable information on our phones, such as payment information within banking and shopping apps.
So, it’s safe to say that our smartphones are prime targets for many hackers.
If you’re using a very basic phone that does not connect to the internet, it’s easy to think that your chances of malware infection are significantly lower. Smartphones come with many security protocols to fight against cybercrime, but this doesn’t necessarily mean they are safe.
With so many digital threats out there today, it’s wise to equip your phone with high levels of security to ensure that your data is being kept safe. But does this mean you need to download an app yourself, or is your smartphone safe enough as it is?
Do All Phones Come With Antivirus?
The answer to this question varies depending on the kind of smartphone you’re using. Apple’s iPhone range, for example, comes with a highly secure operating system designed to ward off malware and viruses. All in all, iOS software acts as an antivirus layer for iPhone users, but this doesn’t mean hacking an iPhone is impossible.
In any case, due to Apple’s built-in antivirus protocols, many iPhone users do not install any additional antivirus software (and don’t really need to either).
The situation is somewhat similar for Android-powered phones. Google, the developer of the Android operating system, offers Google Play Protect to Android smartphone users, which is a kind of antivirus software designed to keep users safe from malicious apps. According toGoogle, Play Protect scans 125 billion apps daily to ensure no malicious activity is being conducted on devices.
Google Play Protect also comes with on-device security features, such as PHA (Potentially Harmful Applications) scanning, a safe browsing API, and reCAPTCHA for risk analysis. This software is used by many Android-powered smartphones, including Samsung, OnePlus, and HTC.
Google Play Protect has been critiqued for itspoor malware detection abilitiesin the past.
If you use a Samsung phone, you may havealso noticed its use of Knox. Samsung Knox is a kind of security management solution that comes as a default feature on many Samsung devices (including smartwatches). It offers malware and virus protection and secure data storage to protect your device and the data it stores. However, Knox is geared more towards professionals and businesses rather than lone users.
There are actually many smartphone manufacturers that equip their products with built-in antivirus capabilities, including:
However, it’s important to note here that some smartphones are more secure than others. OnePlus, for example, uses Google Play Protect, but doesn’t come with any other kind of antivirus software installed. There is a level of protection provided here, but it doesn’t seem to be quite as comprehensive as other brands, such as Samsung and Apple.
If your smartphone comes with some kind of pre-installed antivirus software, you may be safe enough without downloading anything else. Many view default antivirus protocols as sufficient on smartphones, but if you’re concerned about security, you may want to consider installing an additional antivirus client to give you an added layer of protection (or peace of mind, at least).
There are many antivirus apps available for smartphones from reputable names, such as McAfee, Norton, Bitdefender, and Malwarebytes. Some of these apps will be free to use, especially if you’re already signed up with the antivirus provider on your computer. Make sure the app you want to use has a solid reputation before installing.
Additional Ways to Protect Your Phone
Antivirus software certainly isn’t the only way in which you should be protecting your phone. If security and privacy are a priority for you, there are other things you can do to keep your device safe.
For instance, when you’re connecting to the web on your smartphone,using a VPNcan ensure that your browsing traffic and IP address is kept hidden from your internet service provider, the government, and other parties. Most VPN providers offer smartphone apps for users, including ExpressVPN, SurfShark, ProtonVPN, TunnelBear, NordVPN, and IPVanish. There are free VPN smartphone apps out there too, but check that these can be trusted, asfree VPN services can be dangerousat times.
On top of this, you can ward off phishing attacks via email by using anti-spam features on your email apps and blocking suspicious addresses.
Some malware can also be manually installed on a smartphone, such as spyware. To prevent any unauthorized physical access to your phone, make use of password protection, face identification, and fingerprint scanning. You can also password protect specific apps, such as those that store highly sensitive information.
Your Smartphone Needs to Be Protected
While it’s easy to assume that your phone will never be targeted by a malicious actor, this simply isn’t the case. Smartphones have become hot commodities for cybercriminals, so it’s important to take your security and privacy seriously. So many smartphones come with some form of antivirus protection, which is great for users, but do also consider the additional tips above to keep your phone as safe as you’re able to.
Hackers can easily track your phone without your knowledge, but there are a few ways it’s possible to detect malicious activities.
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