Android is a very flexible operating system. Compared to competing platforms such as iOS and Windows Phone it grants more freedom of action to the user, but this undeniable advantage is paid for with some more risk in terms of cyber security.
The ability to install applications from external sources with respect to the Google Play Store and the vast diffusion of the operating system (it is the most widely used software platform in the smartphone sector) have meant that Android attracted the unpleasant attention of cybercriminals, who they design malware aimed at spying on users' activities, collecting their data and in some cases activating very expensive premium services via SMS.
To protect yourself from this type of threats you need to use your smartphone / tablet wisely, avoid downloading applications from sources outside the Play Store (although it must be said that occasionally some malware has also appeared there, disguised as a game or app harmless) and maybe install a good antivirus: there are many, even free ones, which do not burden the system and are able to guarantee an excellent degree of protection. If you want I recommend some of the best currently agolable on the square and I'll explain how to delete eroid virus using them. It won't take long, I promise.
How to prevent the installation of malware on Android
Before taking a look at the best antimalware currently agolable on Android, let's clarify an important concept: to sleep reasonably peacefully it would be enough download applications only from safe sources, therefore only from the Play Store by turning to developers of proven reliability, and don't root eroid.
Now, by default most of the Android smartphones and tablets do not have root permissions enabled and do not allow the installation of apps from sources other than the Play Store, but to make sure that both security measures are in place on the your device do these simple checks.
- Open the list of applications installed on your smartphone / tablet and check if there is a call among them SuperSU o superuser. If not, your device is almost certainly not rooted. For a more "serious" check you can install the Root Checker application and find out through it if your device has root permissions unlocked or not. If your smartphone or tablet is unlocked via root, you can "lock" it again by selecting the appropriate item from the SuperSU / SuperUser application. But know that by doing this you will no longer be able to use all those applications that need root permissions to work. More information about it can be found easily on Google by looking for a guide specifically dedicated to your device (eg "how to remove the root from Samsung Galaxy S7").
- Go to the settings Android, select the item Safety from the menu that opens and check if the option Unknown origin is active. If it is on, disable it and it will automatically block the installation of apps from sources other than the Play Store.
At this point you have a reasonably safe terminal to use but, beware, not invulnerable in the face of malware risk. If you want to sleep even more peacefully you need to install an antivirus like the ones I am about to recommend, knowing however that you will have to give up a pinch of memory and / or performance to allow the software to control the system in real time. Good fun!
Avast
An antivirus for Android that I highly recommend you try is Avast, which includes anti-malware protection with real-time scanning of new apps installed on the device, detects dangerous applications from the point of view of privacy, blocks unwanted calls, blocks '' access to applications with a password and allows you to trace the device in case of theft / loss.
To install Avira for Android, search for it in the Play Store and press the buttons Install and Accept. Then start the application, "tap" on the button Continue e start the first antimalware scan of your smartphone / tablet by pressing the button Analyze this device.
For the rest there is not much to explain, by selecting the option Smart scanning from the initial menu and pressing the button Analyze this device you can start a new on-deme system scan by selecting the item Wi-Fi control you can check the security degree of the Wi-Fi network you are connected to, while going to the section Instruments you can find all the "extra" features of Avast.
Among the "extra" features of Avast are: App lock to lock apps with a password; Privacy conontant to discover apps that pose privacy risks; Call blocking to block unwanted calls e firewall to regulate Internet access by other apps. Finally, I point out that by going to the sections Other Avast products e Archiving from Avast, you can find links to other free applications that Avast has made for Android, such as anti-theft Anti-Theft and the system cleaner app Avast Cleanup.
Bitdefender
The Android version of Bitdefender always figures well in the comparative tests, but unfortunately the free edition of the antivirus offers very few functions compared to the competition: it allows on-deme scans of the system, monitors the new applications installed on the device but has no function anti-theft, does not allow you to block calls and does not allow you to prohibit access to applications that you want to keep private.
To install the free version of Bitdefender on your smartphone / tablet, search Bitdefender Antivirus Free on the Google Play Store and presses the buttons Install and Accept. When the download is complete, start the app, press the button Accept and start a full system scan using the button Scan located in the center of the screen.
If you are looking for a more complete security solution, than in addition to delete eroid virus it also allows you to trace the device in case of theft / loss, block unwanted calls etc. try Bitdefender Mobile Security & Antivirus which costs € 1,49 / month or € 14,95 / year and includes a free 14-day trial of all its features.
Eset Mobile Security
Another antivirus for Android that I advise you to consider is Eset Mobile Security, which however, just like Bitdefender, has a limited number of functions in its free version.
The free version of the antivirus allows you to perform a complete system scan, to automatically examine the new applications installed on the device but does not update the antimalware definitions in real time; includes an anti-theft function (limited compared to the Pro version) but does not allow you to filter calls, view apps that pose a risk to privacy or block phishing attempts. You can try the Premium version of the application for a period of 30 days, after which the price is 9,99 euros / year.
To download the free version of Eset on your smartphone or tablet, open the Play Store, look for it in the latter and press the buttons Install and Accept. Then start the application, set its language and presses the button Accept to start its initial setup procedure.
In the screen that opens, put the check mark next to the item I want to be part of Eset Live Grid to take advantage of Eset's cloud protection, go forward and select the item Enable detection from the drop-down menu located in the center of the screen to activate the protection against potentially unwanted applications (therefore not yet officially included in the definitions of malware but with suspicious behavior).
Finally, choose whether to use the free version of Eset right away or activate the free trial of Eset Pro and wait for the scan of your smartphone / tablet to be completed. Subsequently, the application will check the system in real time.
Avira Antivirus Security
Avira Antivirus Security did not shine particularly in the last comparative tests, but it still manages to guarantee an excellent level of protection without overloading the system excessively. It is free but includes some features that can only be unlocked by registering with Avira's online services or by upgrading to Avira Antivirus Security Pro, which costs 8,15 euros / year.
The functions offered free of charge by the software are those related to anti-malware protection (with on-deme scanning and automatic control of new apps installed on the device), blocking unwanted calls and detecting applications that pose privacy risks. If you create a free account on Avira's online services, you can also take advantage of the anti-theft function to track your smartphone remotely, anti-phishing protection and app blocking with passwords. For those who switch to the Pro version of the app, however, a protected navigation system is agolable to block dangerous sites and carry out home banking operations in complete safety, there are definition updates every hour and dedicated technical support is offered.
To install Avira Antivirus Security on your smartphone (or tablet), search for it in the Google Play Store and press the buttons Install and Accept. Then start the application, "tap" on the item Ignore the tour to skip all the presentation screens and choose whether to subscribe to Avira's online services (free operation) by pressing the button Subscribe or whether to skip this step for now by selecting the item Register later which is located at the bottom.
The system scan starts automatically when the antivirus is started for the first time. Therefore, wait for the operation to be completed and eliminate any threats detected on the device. To access the anti-theft, identity protection (anti-phishing), app blocking and blacklist functions (to block unwanted numbers) select the appropriate items in the main Avira menu. If you want to start a new manual system scan, select the item Antivirus and pulsing on pulsating Scan.
Kaspersky
Finally, I want to point out Kaspersky Internet Security, another very “noble” antivirus that offers many interesting features: anti-malware scanning (with real-time protection only for users who purchase the Premium version), call filtering and anti-theft. Web protection, anti-phishing filter and hiding of private contacts, messages and calls are only agolable for users of the Premium version, which costs 14,95 euros / year but can be tried for free for 30 days.
To install Kaspersky on your smartphone or tablet, look for the application in the Play Store and press the buttons Install e Accept. Then start it, select from the drop-down menu for country selection, go forward e accept the conditions of use of the antivirus by pressing the button Accetta and continue.
At this point, choose whether to create accounts to take advantage of remote comme launch, remote security management and access to other Kaspersky services or whether to continue ignoring this step and decide whether to use the version free of the application or whether to purchase its paid version.
Per conclusdere, press the pulsating Scan and wait for the outcome of the system check. All the functions of the app are accessible from the main menu of the latter, which appears by pressing on arrow which is located at the bottom right.
Other antivirus for Android
If you want a broader overview of antivirus for Android, I suggest you take a “leap” to the AV-Test.org website which occasionally publishes comparative rankings with the best apps in the industry. Antiviruses can be sorted according to their degree of effectiveness by clicking on the item Protection, or based on their degree of usability, by clicking on the item Usability.
