Bitdefender Mobile Security for Android

Whether you think Android has an anti-malware program or not, Bitdefender Mobile Security for Android is a useful security app for Android smartphone or tablet. In addition to cloud-based malware scanning, BitDefender Mobile Security on remote geolocation and anti-theft features - you can log into a website, watch your Android location on a map, and remotely. Bitdefender also offers phishing protection for the default Android browser and an Application Audit tool that simplifies app permission. Bitdefender supports Android 2.2 and later versions of Android.

Getting Started

When you install BitDefender Mobile Security for Android, you are prompted to My BitDefender account - or log in with one if you already have. You can use this account to the remote location of your device and the anti-theft features using a web browsing. Once your accoutn, you'll see a control panel with the four main features that BitDefender Mobile - Malware Scanner, Application Audit, Web Security and Anti-theft. There is also an Event Viewer, a log of the activities of BitDefender are displayed.

Malware Scanner

Tap the icon to Malware Scanner scan to run. Bitdefender architecture of saving energy by not running CPU-intensive scanning on your smartphone or tablet. Instead, Bitdefender scan your device apps and generates fingerprints. After generating the fingerprints, Bitdefender Bitdefender Mobile upload to the servers, where they compared to known malware. These cloud-based architecture also ensures that you always have the latest malware definitions used - you do not need regular signature updates to perform.

BitDefender Mobile Security also scans for Android apps to install than they potentially malicious applications to prevent the installation. If your removable storage device is installed, BitDefender Mobile Security for Android also does this - this ensures malicious APK files can not be copied from a computer for storage of your device.

Application Audit

The Application Audit screen you can see which apps on the device potentially harmful permissions. You can see which applications have access to the internet, access to personal data (such as your contacts), or access to things that might cost you money (such as sending SMS messages). You can click on an app from here to more information about permissions to view and quickly removed. This screen can help warn you of potentially unwanted applications - such as a game in the cost section, it can be a warning.

Web Security

Web security is in fact a phishing and malware filter for your browser - though it only works with the standard Android browser, called Internet. Desktop browsers like Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and Internet Explorer have a built-in phishing and malware filters, but Android's default browser does not. When Web Security is enabled, every Web address in your default browser sent to BitDefender servers. The servers respond and tell your device or a problem with the website or not - if you try to access a phishing site or one that contains malware to gain access, you will see a warning page instead be seen. If you do not want to use this feature, you can disable it.

Remote Geolocation & Anti-Theft

BitDefender Mobile Security Anti-theft device can function as a "FindMy iPhone" service for Android phones. Remote geolocation is standard, so your browser, log onto the My Bitdefender site with the password you created when setting up the app, and the location of your phone on a map display. (The phone must be connected to the Internet for these features to work.) You can also enable the remote lock and remote wipe features if you want the ability to remotely lock or wipe the device if you lose access to it.

The Locate button on the My Bitdefender website uses your GPS device to ensure an accurate location. In my test, Bitdefender showed my device its current location at street level and with a precise range of street addresses that the device was on. I chose not to my exact location on the screenshot below show, but Bitdefender did.

 

From the website you can also send messages to the device and play an alarm on it - the anti-theft feature can help you find your phone if you have lost in a city or even if you misplaced it in your home.