By: Neil Rubenking, PC Magazine
PCMag has long relied on test results from AV-Test.org and others to help identify the best PC antivirus products, especially dynamic whole-product tests. A report released today extends AV-Test's reach into the Android antivirus market, with over 40 products tested.
The report opens with a review on the state of Android malware. The Android Market holds over 450,000 apps now, compared to fewer than 100,000 in July of 2012. The rate of new malware threats is rising, and the overall count of threats is rising steeply. Per AV-Test's chart there are nearly 12,000 distinct threats. There have also been reports of Download-Trojans that download and activate malicious code after installation, thereby avoiding detection by Google's Bouncer.
Android antivirus testing is a new field, so the report doesn't attempt to identify a single winner. It doesn't even spell out the exact detection percentage for each product. Rather, it groups the products into five protection ranges and advises choosing a product from one of the top ranges that also includes any other security features you desire such as locating a lost phone or remote lock and wipe.