Sophos launches free anti-virus app for Android

Security vendor Sophos has launched a free anti-virus app for Android devices.

Sophos Mobile Security, available from the Google Play app store, offers scanning of apps during installation and gray-listing, tracking and remote locking of handsets and identification of Android apps with access to personal data.

In February Juniper Networks released its 2011 Mobile Threats Report, which revealed a 3325 per cent increase in malware targeting Android devices in the last seven months of 2011; this compares to a 155 per cent jump in malware across all mobile platforms from in the space of a year.

“We’re seeing no slowdown in the number of malicious apps, as more smartphone owners use their devices to not only store personal data, but also access social networks and the Internet,” Matthias Pankert, Sophos’ vice-president of product management, said in a statement.

“This usage, coupled with the increase in bring-your-own device (BYOD) activity, is making Android devices a compelling target for cybercriminals and malware.”

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