4 ms·

Every antivirus app is a fraud. I stopped using them about 10 years now, I only use firewall and haven't got any problems. There's also some great firewall apps

Every antivirus app is a fraud. I stopped using them about 10 years now, I only use firewall and haven't got any problems. There's also some great firewall apps for Android that have logging and stuff, pretty useful.

ce4 8y ago
That statement is not true, e.g. Virustotal Mobile isn't fraud.
- dividuum 8y ago
  Why is that from a 3rd party developer? The official app doesn't seem to exist any more: The link from https://www.virustotal.com/en/documentation/mobile-applications/ https://www.virustotal.com/en/documentation/mobile-applicati... is dead. Edit: Found this one: https://support.virustotal.com/hc/en-us/articles/115002146549-Mobile-Apps https://support.virustotal.com/hc/en-us/articles/11500214654...
Semaphor 8y ago
All AV ever did for me was find cracks (not virus infected cracks but simply cracks) or android rooting tools. I, too, stopped using AV around 10 years ago. AV has its uses, but imo only for tech illiterate people who tend to download random stuff and execute it without thinking about it.
wangchungtonite 8y ago
I have never owned an android phone and honestly did not know that there were antivirus apps for the phone. That makes me glad that I never owned one. Are viruses much of a concern for android phones?
- takeda 8y ago
  No, not really. The biggest concern is what everyone ignores. Apps that provide some kind of barely useful feature, but phones home and provides information about you, like phone number IMEI, your location etc.
- viraptor 8y ago
  This is really not Android-specific: https://top8antivirus.com/ios-antivirus-comparison/ https://top8antivirus.com/ios-antivirus-comparison/ But it's mostly a scam. Unless you really go for dodgy apps, it's all fine.
newnewpdro 8y ago
Are you aware Google acquired Virustotal in 2012? I know people @ Google who worked on related technology, it's not all fraud and they took their jobs rather seriously. But there is definitely some fraud going on. Virus scanners are necessarily positioned and privileged perfectly for exploitation. You definitely have to be careful with what you employ in this capacity.

ce4 8y ago

That statement is not true, e.g. Virustotal Mobile isn't fraud.

dividuum 8y ago
Why is that from a 3rd party developer? The official app doesn't seem to exist any more: The link from https://www.virustotal.com/en/documentation/mobile-applications/ https://www.virustotal.com/en/documentation/mobile-applicati... is dead. Edit: Found this one: https://support.virustotal.com/hc/en-us/articles/115002146549-Mobile-Apps https://support.virustotal.com/hc/en-us/articles/11500214654...

Semaphor 8y ago

All AV ever did for me was find cracks (not virus infected cracks but simply cracks) or android rooting tools. I, too, stopped using AV around 10 years ago. AV has its uses, but imo only for tech illiterate people who tend to download random stuff and execute it without thinking about it.

wangchungtonite 8y ago

I have never owned an android phone and honestly did not know that there were antivirus apps for the phone. That makes me glad that I never owned one. Are viruses much of a concern for android phones?

takeda 8y ago
No, not really. The biggest concern is what everyone ignores. Apps that provide some kind of barely useful feature, but phones home and provides information about you, like phone number IMEI, your location etc.
viraptor 8y ago
This is really not Android-specific: https://top8antivirus.com/ios-antivirus-comparison/ https://top8antivirus.com/ios-antivirus-comparison/ But it's mostly a scam. Unless you really go for dodgy apps, it's all fine.

newnewpdro 8y ago

Are you aware Google acquired Virustotal in 2012? I know people @ Google who worked on related technology, it's not all fraud and they took their jobs rather seriously. But there is definitely some fraud going on. Virus scanners are necessarily positioned and privileged perfectly for exploitation. You definitely have to be careful with what you employ in this capacity.