Last Updated on December 6, 2020 by Matt

5 of the Best Mobile Security Apps for your Smartphone!

We are now living in the age of the smartphone, and as Google has recently proved, there are millions of people getting new phones every single week (over 500,000 Android devices are activated every day!). As the number of users increases, so will the security risks that smartphones (and tablets) bring to us which makes cyber security for individuals more important than ever.

Even though Android and the iPhone are pretty secure, they definitely can be broken and used to spy on people, steal data from the device and for other malicious purposes. The recent Carrier IQ scandal has shown that you don’t even need to know there’s an app on your phone or approve it for it to be running and transmitting every keystroke to a remote server.

With that in mind, here are just a few apps that will help you keep your smartphone safe and secure:

Webroot Security and Antivirus

This app provides the basic security and antivirus needs for your Android smartphone. The software can protect your phone against unwanted and dangerous websites by checking them against online blacklists first, as well as check applications for any security issues they may have (for example, a simple alarm clock does not need access to your personal data, so if it requires it, it could be a potential risk) and scan and find Trojans and viruses, which seem to be growing in numbers on Android and iPhone, although it’s a bit hard to get them to do anything really harmful.

Webroot Mobile Security (Beta) brings Webroot’s powerful online security to your Android device. This lightweight security app eliminates malicious applications, blocks harmful websites, and protects your privacy if you device is lost or stolen.

Run a full scan after opening this application and view the details to find any possible threats, enable Active Protection, run scheduled scans, and more. Edit your shield’s settings, view quarantined files, and manage ignored threats in the details tab.

Kaspersky Mobile Security

Kaspersky Mobile Security is one of the best suites for controlling what your phone and the apps you installed do. You can hide the contacts and phone numbers you want private from apps that can access them, locate a lost or stolen phone using the built-in GPS and the company’s online service, encrypt and secure all the files on the phone that you don’t want anyone else to see, create blacklists for numbers or emails you don’t want contacting you, and protect your phone from any malware that can get installed with an app.

Product Description

World-class protection for Smartphones-Kaspersky Mobile Security combines innovative anti-theft defense with advanced Internet threat protection to ensure the safety of your Smartphone. Whether your phone is lost or stolen, or is targeted while you’re surfing the internet, you know your personal data is always safe.

Prey

It would be very unfortunate if your phone were lost or stolen, but thankfully there is something you can do to get it back even in those cases. Using Prey, a free and open source app and service, you can always keep track of where your smartphone is, and enable the GPS and camera remotely, then receive the coordinates (shown on the map for your convenience) and photos taken by the camera.

This way you can find out where your phone is and who stole it, which will help you get it back, with the police’s help, of course.
Available instantly for your Android device.

Product Description

Protect your phone with Prey Phone Tracker, an open source, cross-platform anti-theft application for Android. Prey works by installing a remotely-activated tracking agent in your mobile. When your phone goes missing, SMS your preset activation code to the lost device as quickly as possible. The agent immediately reports the phone missing to Prey’s servers. Prey uses the device’s GPS or the nearest WiFi signal to triangulate its geo-location–information which is passed on to you in regular e-mail reports. …

GadgetTrak

GadgetTrak is a service very similar to Prey, but more advanced. It’s a paid service, but it’s completely worth it if you ever lose your phone or someone steals it. After you install the app on the phone, you can always enable the GPS and camera with an SMS or via the online interface, and find out the exact location of your phone within minutes. Then you can go and retrieve it. The app works for any smartphone.

Product Description

Mobile computing has changed the way we work, play and communicate. Think about the things you have on your laptop right now: Countless photos, financial records, tons of music. Even the hefty price tag you paid for your laptop is probably dwarfed by the value of the information on it.Now for the scary part: The FBI estimates that 10% of all laptops purchased in the US will be stolen within the first year of ownership. Of those, only 3% will be recovered!

GadgetTrak to the rescue: Using patented location-detection technology, GadgetTrak can pinpoint the location of your device, who has it, even what they’re wearing!

Firewall IP

Jailbreaking your iPhone gives you a lot of freedom and new options, but it also makes it easier to unsecure the device by letting apps that were unauthorized by Apple (sometimes with good reason) to access the data connection. If there’s a malicious app, it can send out your data, use up your bandwidth and rack your bill and do other damage.

Firewall IP is a small app that lets you control which apps get access to the outside world and which don’t.

Secret Browser

Secret Browser is a web browser for the Android smartphone that keeps your web browsing private. Password protected, Secret Browser also doesn’t show up in the Recently Opened Application List, so no one using your phone will know you’ve opened Secret Browser.

Support for mp4 and 3gp video, as well as RTSP streaming, Secret Browser allows you to view any video without leaving a history, thereby hiding your activity. So, if you need a little privacy when browsing the web, get Secret Browser.

This free app is ad supported.

The security risks that a smartphone brings with it will only grow in number in the following years, and if you have any sensitive data on your phone (especially if you’re using Google Wallet or some sort of credit card number storage app) or don’t want to fall victim to any scam, you should start getting acquainted with the various security apps and tools available for your handset right now.