Lookout

A few days ago the unthinkable happened: I lost my smartphone and truly realized how lost I am without it.

I know it's not the end of the world and it happens every day to people. But it has never happened to me, and I was shocked at how helpless and vulnerable I felt. And how angry. One minute it was in my lap in the car, and the next it was gone forever.

Fortunately, I had the screen locked and my data backed up. But if that hadn't been the case, it could have been a disaster. … Read more

Google has fixed a bug in the Android Market that could have allowed attackers to distribute malicious apps to gain control of devices.

"Since the Android Web market was launched earlier this year, it was possible to remotely install arbitrary applications with arbitrary permissions onto a victim's phone simply by tricking them into clicking a malicious link (either on their desktop or phone)," Jon Oberheide, co-founder and chief technology officer at Duo Security (formerly Scio Security), wrote in a blog post today. "The exploit works universally across all Android devices, versions, and architectures."

Oberheide described … Read more

Android Market apps should be scanned for traces of malware to protect Android customers from downloading apps that look legitimate but are in fact malicious, a security expert told CNET today.

Earlier this week Google removed a bunch of malicious apps, most disguised as legitimate apps, from the Android Market after they were found to contain malware. The malware, dubbed DroidDream, uses two exploits to steal information such as phone ID and model, and to plant a back door on the phone that could be used to drop further malware on the device and take it over.

"At a … Read more

Mobile-security company Lookout released a new free Android app today called Plan B that lets you find a lost phone without having downloaded special software onto it beforehand. You just install the app over the Web after the device goes missing.

To use the app you need access to the Android Market Web site and a Google account. Once the app is downloaded over the Web, an e-mail arrives in the associated Gmail account telling you the app is locating the phone, followed by another e-mail with a Google Map showing where the phone is.

Plan B will send follow-up … Read more

BARCELONA -- The Android Market is growing at three times the rate of Apple's App Store, according to a report released today by mobile security firm Lookout.

The number of Android Market apps increased about 127 percent since August, while the number of apps in the Apple App Store grew at a rate of 44 percent during that period, the company said in its latest App Genome Project report, which is based on an analysis of more than 500,000 mobile apps for those mobile platforms.

"The Android is maturing fast," but the Apple App Store still … Read more

In this week's episode of Tap That App, we look at the growing Android security field and check out three apps with three different takes on what's important when making Android safer. One thing's for sure: the makers of all three think that there's more to Android security than mere antivirus and malicious app scanning.

For a more detailed analysis, check out the story this episode of Tap That App is based on.

Mobile devices are the frontier for malicious hackers and other technological ne'er-do-wells, which means that the Android operating system sheriffs can't be far behind. It's an unusual space to be in at the moment, because while malicious mobile apps have been proven to exist and indeed are legitimate threats, there's very few of them for one simple reason: there's no money in it. At least, not yet.

You can bet your last horse bound for the glue factory that as phones replace credit cards and are increasingly used to conduct transactions, the threats will increase. … Read more

Lookout Mobile Security has become a darling of the Android app world, although the hype isn't without good reason. Even if the antivirus and malware threats haven't fully materialized quite yet for the mobile operating system--and there are some indications that's changing--Lookout offers enough solid security features to make it a must-have app. It comes with a free phone locator service that can be upgraded to include remote wipe and remote lock options, as well as online backup for your contacts and anti-malware scans.

So what did we think of it? Check out the review for a … Read more

The bottom line: Lookout's broad range of effective mobile device-specific security features are coupled with a minimal performance hit, making it a must-have app.

Update: This review was updated on January 26, 2011 with revised benchmarks in the Performance section. Accordingly, the score has been raised from 4.5 stars to 5 stars.

Review: Antivirus prevention isn't anywhere near as necessary for Android devices as it is for Windows computers just yet. As Android's market share grows, though, so will the attacks. More importantly for the here and now, Lookout Mobile Security provides key security options that … Read more