Do I need antimalware on my Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5?

Forums › Android › Do I need antimalware on my Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5?

geekIT

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#193573 15-Mar-2016 16:24

I've just bought my first Android device (Galaxy Tab S 10.5) and before I get online, I'm wondering if I need any antivirus or antispyware.

Obviously, you don't connect a computer to the net without protection, but are Android tablets at risk?

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johnr

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#1513852 15-Mar-2016 16:33

Everything is at risk it also depends what you are doing online on the tablet

Kiwifruta

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#1513872 15-Mar-2016 17:09

I've been using 360 security
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.qihoo.security&hl=en

I'm not a security expert, but it's working for me.

mentalinc

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#1513912 15-Mar-2016 19:11

No don't waste your time.
Don't install random apps not from the playstore.
Don't go to random sites

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ech3lon

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#1513918 15-Mar-2016 19:27

A waste of resource I reckon. Never installed on any of my android devices.

Just like the other said, dont install random app, or worse, from unknown sources although you'll need to toggle on a setting to allow this.

I dont consider websites much of a threat to Android browser, keep them updated is always a good idea.

d3Xt3r

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#1513929 15-Mar-2016 19:40

No. There aren't any real viruses for Android, at least, not in the wild. All the scary Android "virus" articles you've been seeing in the media are nothing but trojans which rely on social engineering / manual user intervention - ie they require you to manually download an apk file, enable the option to install from unknown sources, manually install it, ignore the permissions it needs, manually open the file etc.

Just follow safe computing practices and you should be OK:

- Don't enable the option to install apps from unknown sources (it's disabled by default).
- Don't give an app Device Admin access unless you trust it, and you know why it needs the access
- Pay attention to security warnings - ie if a website is trying to download something on your phone, or if it's an unsafe site
- Try not to get fooled by banner/popup ads saying "Your device is running slow" or "your tablet has a virus" etc.
- Only download apps from the official Google Play Store.
- Before downloading an app, read it's reviews and more importantly, check the permissions it requires! For eg: a flashlight app, should never require access to your contacts or personal files! This is common sense, but most people just ignore the permissions required and install the app anyways. If you don't understand why an app is asking for a specific permission, check the app's description. Legit apps usually describe why a certain permission is needed.
- Beware of junk apps - all these so called "RAM Boosters", "Battery Savers", "Memory Cleaners" etc are mostly junk - and may even steal your info if you give it permissions.
- Be extra careful when entering your credit-card details. Double, triple check that it's a legit app/site, and it's asking the details for legit purposes, and that you're on a secure connection (green HTTPS lock, valid certificate etc, ensure you're on a private WiFi network / 3G).

At the most, I'd recommend using an Ad Blocker like Adguard - this should get rid of all those misleading "OMG UR ANDROID IS INFECTED" type of ads, and also blocks most of the known malware domains (this list is updated regularly).

Finally, I suggest reading this article if you're still not convinced: [Android Central] Antivirus for Android — do you need it?

Kiwifruta

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#1514013 15-Mar-2016 22:17

d3Xt3r:
No. There aren't any real viruses for Android, at least, not in the wild. All the scary Android "virus" articles you've been seeing in the media are nothing but trojans which rely on social engineering / manual user intervention - ie they require you to manually download an apk file, enable the option to install from unknown sources, manually install it, ignore the permissions it needs, manually open the file etc.

Just follow safe computing practices and you should be OK:

- Don't enable the option to install apps from unknown sources (it's disabled by default).
- Don't give an app Device Admin access unless you trust it, and you know why it needs the access
- Pay attention to security warnings - ie if a website is trying to download something on your phone, or if it's an unsafe site
- Try not to get fooled by banner/popup ads saying "Your device is running slow" or "your tablet has a virus" etc.
- Only download apps from the official Google Play Store.
- Before downloading an app, read it's reviews and more importantly, check the permissions it requires! For eg: a flashlight app, should never require access to your contacts or personal files! This is common sense, but most people just ignore the permissions required and install the app anyways. If you don't understand why an app is asking for a specific permission, check the app's description. Legit apps usually describe why a certain permission is needed.
- Beware of junk apps - all these so called "RAM Boosters", "Battery Savers", "Memory Cleaners" etc are mostly junk - and may even steal your info if you give it permissions.
- Be extra careful when entering your credit-card details. Double, triple check that it's a legit app/site, and it's asking the details for legit purposes, and that you're on a secure connection (green HTTPS lock, valid certificate etc, ensure you're on a private WiFi network / 3G).

At the most, I'd recommend using an Ad Blocker like Adguard - this should get rid of all those misleading "OMG UR ANDROID IS INFECTED" type of ads, and also blocks most of the known malware domains (this list is updated regularly).

Finally, I suggest reading this article if you're still not convinced: [Android Central] Antivirus for Android — do you need it?

Thanks for sharing, the article about the Google's built in security measures within Android, was very informative.

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geekIT

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#1514166 16-Mar-2016 08:46

"No. There aren't any real viruses for Android, at least, not in the wild. All the scary Android "virus" articles you've been seeing in the media are nothing but trojans which rely on social engineering / manual user intervention - ie they require you to manually download an apk file, enable the option to install from unknown sources, manually install it, ignore the permissions it needs, manually open the file etc."

d3Xt3r, thanks for your expo. Sounds a lot like the common sense advice that relates to computers, but which most PC users don't follow.

Actually, I probably won't be too adventurous with my Tab S. I only bought it for playing movies\audio books at the gym, or maybe patching into my home network from the couch when I'm too lazy to get my laptop. I doubt I'd ever be tempted to download apps, but I'll keep in mind the need to do it only from legit sources.

Much appreciate your advice :-)

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