Antivirus

[Car48]

Do you use antivirus software on your smartphone or iphone? Why or why not.

[nick67]

An article I've read says the iPhone's default security system is effective, but the same cannot be said for jailbroken iPhones wheres hackers can get around the iOS security system. A lot of the major anti-virus companies have developed mobile anti-virus protection software. Not sure about Android and Blackberry smartphones however, my apologies there.

[Randy2727]

I have AVG Antivirus for my Android phone. I have not encountered a virus since I started using it.

[WickyLeBlond]

It depends how you use your phone really that determines wether or not you're at risk of getting viruses.

You're about as likely (if not less) to get a virus on your iPhone or Android device then a Mac computer. Yes there are anti-viruses available. Are they really worth it? In my opinion, no.

I have an iPod Touch, an Xperia Play and a Blackberry Bold 9700 and don't have an anti-virus for any of these devices even if my iPod Touch is jailbroken and that I download apk files on my Play. I am, however, taking risks in doing this, but the risks aren't all that big either. Depends how stressed you are for your device, but I think that if you're worried enough to get an anti-virus, that you might as well doing everything legit.

At least that's my personnal point of vue

[nick67]

Interesting read: http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-01-11/google-android-more-vulnerable-than-iphone-antivirus-mak...

[WickyLeBlond]

You do realise that that article is incredibly biast right? All the information is coming from a company that makes anti-viruses. Of course they're going to say that the threat is big.

I don't deny that Android is more at risk because it's opened source, but last time I checked, Linux was also open source, yet Linux and also Mac OS, which runs on a base of unix are the two platforms with the least viruses. Hackers will more likely attack the more mainstream device, not the necessarily the easiest.