Avira Mobile Security 1.5.4

iOS users don’t have many reasons to feel concerned about the security of their device when it comes actual malware (viruses, trojans, etc.). Hackers are generally focused on the dominant platform, which in the case of mobiles is Android, but there’s also Apple’s walled garden that helps.

Nevertheless, malware has occasionally found its way onto iOS as well. You can count the incidents on the fingers on one hand, but it’s enough to prompt security companies to churn out apps designed to deal with this problem.

Makes you "feel" protected

Enter Avira Mobile Security, a neatly designed security app that includes a malicious process scanner and other tools that gives a sense of protection. The overall look is admittedly gorgeous, but it’s not clear just how useful the app really is.

Avira Mobile Security has a state-of-the-art design. The developers paid a lot of attention to the details. Navigating through the menus is pure joy.

Doesn't seem to recognize malware

Avira Mobile Security was born out of the alleged need to keep your iPhone, iPad or iPod secure, and your identity safe. It has a “malicious process” scanner, an identity protection tool, and a very handy Device Locate function that really does its job. It’s a lot like Apple’s Find My iPhone.

The app includes Avira Answers, a community of users who will answer your tech questions for free. Just don’t expect the answers to arrive instantly. It can take a while before someone decides to clear things up for you. The Address Book scanner checks to see if your contacts' identities are safe.

You can’t know for sure if the thing has up to date definitions, or if it even checks scans against a regularly-updated database. We fed the device a malicious “eicar” file, which normally causes every antivirus app to sound the alarm, but Avira Mobile Security failed to pick up its scent. All the features work as expected, though finding some malicious activity would have helped us assess it better. Avira would be wise to provide a demo file that the app can recognize as malicious so users will know what to expect. As such, we can only go on faith.

Avira does call it an “antivirus” on its website, but doesn’t make it clear if the tool is designed to remove any malware if it finds it. Many customers will regard it as such. There’s no trace of any quarantine functions or anything that would otherwise characterize it as a malware-fighting tool. In our one-week testing it hasn’t found anything and it only says “you’re protected.” Take that for what it is.

Add to watchlist:

Phone locatorAntivirus

• Prey Anti Theft 1.2.2
• Find My iPhone 4.0

Portable version:

• Avira Mobile Security for Android