Apparently, AVAST free on Android is going crazy right now

[G+_Homer Slated]

The AV solution I use is called Common Sense®, and thus far I've seen no malware at all on my Android.

 

Best of all, it's completely free!

 

Although, frankly, malware on Android is largely a myth peddled by AV companies to get you to buy their products. Most of the so-called "malware" on Android is just perfectly legitimate ad-supported software, and the rest is mostly about social engineering, from which no AV solution could possibly protect you anyway, because you have to deliberately install it and grant it permissions.

 

Don't install dodgy software from dodgy sources, and read the user reviews, and you won't need AV software in the first place.

 

Although if you want more fine-grained control over app permissions, I suggest you try XPrivacy:

 

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=biz.bokhorst.xprivacy.installer&hl=en

 

You'll need root and the XPosed framework first.

 

http://techverse.net/how-to-root-samsung-galaxy-s3-i9300-running-android-4-1-2/

 

http://repo.xposed.info/module/de.robv.android.xposed.installer

[G+_Neil Sedlak]

Android device manager provides built in anti-theft features as well as find my phone. You just need to turn it on. As others have said, if you are a careful user anti-virus on mobile is 99% hype.

[G+_Sebastian Feiler]

I think the only persons who can really rely on their common sense are expert Android programmers with access to the source code of the program they are about to install. Everything else is just a more or less windy version of "well, it doesn't smell bad, it won't hurt me".

That said, as long as you only install well-known and well-reviewed apps from the official source, you might be safe most of the time.

 

Regarding the permissions: I am very sure that a clever malware hacker can make you believe that the program you downloaded needs the access that it is asking for (of it is the right type of program). 

 

Might be that Android has additional security from 4.2 on. If only Samsung would get their act together and finalize and push the update from 4.1.2 to my phone. Well, they don't, and I expect them to loose any interest in my "old" Galaxy S3 very soon. So much for the benefit of getting security upgrades...

 

Anyways, Android is a great platform. It's just moments like this morning when Avast freaked out when I want to be on an iOS device. :-(

[G+_Neil Sedlak]

The S3 is currently on 4.3. What carrier do you use?

[G+_Sebastian Feiler]

Neil Sedlak I am on T-Mobile Germany. No upgrade here, checking daily. There was an update to 4.3 scheduled, but it worked poorly and Samsung canceled the roll-out after customers reported freezes and battery drain. That was in December, and there is no news on that. And the S5 is coming out soon...

 

[edit: they seem to be trying another rollout since today, however I can't upgrade. Maybe they only upgrade the non-LTE versions. My next Android phone - if i don't switch to an iphone - will be a Nexus or Motorola device. Everything else seems to generate problems.]

[G+_Homer Slated]

Of course Samsung wants you to give them more money, that's what companies do.

 

Fortunately the fact that Android is Free means you don't have to, you can just go to Cyanogenmod instead. I'm still using an original SGS1, updated to JB, which I'm sure annoys the Hell out of Samsung, but they're powerless to stop me.

 

This is how it should be. It is my property, after all.

 

The only real threat on Android is the prevalence of proprietary apps, many of which try to make money by violating your privacy, albeit with your permission.

 

I try to avoid them, and use Free Software alternatives from f-droid.org instead. The fact that they're Free means they're peer-reviewed, and thus trustworthy. You personally don't have to audit every line of every Free Software program to be sure that they're safe, when there's a vast community of others out there who do.

 

For the very few proprietary apps I do use, I completely block their permissions using XPrivacy. Only if that causes the app to malfunction will I gradually start relaxing those restrictions, and sometimes not even then, I might delegate to just remove the offending app instead, depending on what exactly it's trying to do. It's not like there aren't any alternatives. There's over a million more to choose from.

[G+_Sebastian Feiler]

Homer Slated I might try F-Droid in the future. In the meantime, there is a lot of good and free open source software on the Play Store, too. Think K9 Mail and Android Privacy Guard, or Orbot.

 

I do not have a problem to pay for software as long as it is a good product and respects my privacy. Lots of closed-source software allegedly does that, and that's find on my side and I happily use such products. 

 

Installing CyMod on my primary phone is not an option right now. I'd risk to brick the device if the unlocking/installing does not work well. I can't afford that at the moment. :-(

[G+_Ken Jones]

Neil Sedlak All I hear about is how wonderful ADM is. If you're in an area with no mobile data, then ADM is useless!  Avast anti-theft and tracking can be operated by SMS which will work with the weakest of mobile signals so is much more reliable.

   

[G+_Ken Jones]

Oh, and this isn't the first time AVAST have uploaded duff definition files.  They need to sort this out.

[G+_Neil Sedlak]

Ken Jones There are many solutions, each with flaws (see your own comment about AVAST screwing up periodically). The point being, many do not know of ADM but it can fill certain needs without additional software. No need to add bloat if the native tool works. Many live in areas where data and sms coverage are the same. If you don't, then another option makes sense.

[G+_Homer Slated]

Sebastian Feiler : I'm quite happy to pay people for their hard work too. I have an objection to closed sources and restrictive licensing, not payment. In fact I already contribute financially to several Free Software projects.

[G+_John Adams]

Lookout.

[G+_Sebastian Feiler]

Homer Slated Same here. I backed, among others, gnuPG, truecrypt and LibreOffice, since I use all of them. Any recommendations on what else to donate to? 

[G+_Homer Slated]

Sebastian Feiler : Well of course it's up to you, but personally I recommend you consider donating to the FSF, EFF, SFLC and even the ACLU (or NCCL or equivalent), as these organisations defend the fundamental freedoms that make things like Free Software, freedom of expression and Net neutrality possible in the first place. Also remember that most of these organisations tend to have national and regional divisions that you may prefer donating to (e.g. FSF Europe).

 

Then you should consider donating to the GNU/Linux distro you use, since that is your first and primary point of contact with Free Software, and where much of the effort is concentrated. It also tends to be the most overlooked. Many of those who maintain distros are also upstream developers on various projects, so you'll be indirectly helping many other projects at the same time.

 

After that it's up to you, but it would make sense for you to donate to those specific projects that you use most, or which you'd like to succeed but which are currently struggling. Watch out in particular for appeals for donations. Not all projects are lucky enough to receive corporate funding or other sponsorship, but they all have significant costs, not just in terms of time and effort but also with things like hosting and equipment.

 

Currently the projects that I'm most keen to support are those designed to defend against the NSA's invasion of privacy as exposed by Edward Snowden, my general desire to extricate myself from dependency on corporate controlled services, and the need to circumvent the rapidly increasing censorship being imposed by western governments.

 

Most of those projects are listed at prism-break.org.

[G+_David Poston]

mine is fine no issues.