With the ever growing might (read computing abilities) of the smartphones and increasing adaptation of it by the masses, chances of smartphones becoming a target of hackers are likely and with a open source platform base like Android the likelihood is multiplied. With the increasing amount of transactions being done on smartphones, it has become imperative for smartphone users to protect their mobile devices. And as such mobile security solutions become important and today we will be taking a look at Norton Mobile Security which is an Anti-Theft, Anti-Malware, Call & SMS Blocking, fraudulent Websites Protection software all built into one. Here is a part by part look at Norton Mobile Security.
Anti-Theft:
During the first run, it asks you to set a password. This provides 3 types of protection
- Remote Locate
- Remote Lock
- Remote Wipe
Note: You need to set Stock Messaging application to be the default SMS application else the above won’t work.
Additionally you can enable
- SIM Card Lock
- Security Wipe (After 10 password attempts)
Anti-Malware:
Scans can be scheduled to take place Daily, Weekly and Monthly. You have options to scan SD card but it isn’t recommended as it can slow down the system.
Call & SMS Blocking:
You can add number from your Contacts, Call Log, SMS Log or input one manually. It shows list of Blocked SMS’s and Calls.
Web Protection:
It protects you by blocking access to fraudulent websites. This only works with default Android Browser and needs stable network connection to work effectively.
You can download the lite version of the software from the
Android Market. Note that only Anti-Theft and Anti-Malware work on the free version. The Full version is available for $30.
Pros:
- It’s low on resources
- Easy to Use
- Free Version has useful features
Cons:
- Better SMS Blocker Apps available for Free
- Requires you to use stock browser and Messaging applications set as default
- Anti-Theft cannot work if the phone is switched off and thus is useless if thief switches off the device.
Overall the Norton Mobile Security is a good initiative, and pretty much serves the purpose. We feel that there is still room for improvement after tweaking a few options. Also the pricing for a single license at Rs. 599 is not that expensive and definitely a good option for people who use their smartphones for professional communication purposes or are simply obsessed about their data security. Though the free version also has a lot of useful features to work with and we would definitely recommend it as a must have for android smartphones.
