Webroot adds protection for Android devices

Internet security firm Webroot has unveiled a new mobile security application for devices based on Google’s Android operating system. The platform is aimed at businesses and individual consumers using both smartphones and tablets based on Android.

The app uses Webroot’s anti-malware and URL scanning technologies to block online threats and check the safety of links before a user clicks, protecting everything from mobile browsing, texting and mobile marketing to downloading apps from online apps stores. The system also protects users’ personal information if mobile devices are lost or otherwise compromised—contacts, emails, passwords and sensitive data like financial information are all protected in that case, using remote locks and wipes.

Android’s security is an ongoing issue for Google, with its open source approach also leaving millions of consumers vulnerable to malware and security concerns. In March Google responded to a surge in malware attacks with a list of steps it would take to address the issues.

For mobile app developers, the significance of the development is twofold: It underscores the growing prevalence and importance of the Android platform and devices designed to use it, and it demonstrates the increasing attention mobile users are paying to security issues when it comes to their mobile devices and apps—including their willingness to pay for protection (the basic version of the Webroot solution is free, but complete security requires a fee).