Top 5 Android Security and Data Protection Apps

Why do you need a security app on your Android phone ?

Don't you lock your home? Don't you lock your car ? Isn't there is safe where you keep your personal belongings? If you keep the things you love so safe and securely then why not your own Android phone. Every day we read headlines "40 stolen phones found", "Mobile phone thief arrested" etc. Do you want to be a victim of this or do you want to be the smart one?

Many business people carry a lot of sensitive data on their phones. These days Android phones have become so handy that people have even started keeping their bank account numbers and passwords in them. The phone has become a small secret box which they can carry around with them , can have it 24x7 close to them. But what happens when someone steals your phone, What if he is able to access your personal information, your bank codes, your financial data, your pin numbers… Everything is finished or rather you are finished!

Now the bourgeois mentality would make you say that you are not going to store any private information, then why should you even bother reading about this. but even if you are not going to store any personal info ,there is still the very possibility of your phone being prone to virus attacks. Not every person does good in this society. Some apps lure to offer you great service , but they are actually virus spreading mediums. They can even use your identity to do sordid things.

Now to avoid such a situation it is always advisable to install some security app on your phone well before hand. I would recommend installing one the day you buy your phone. This will ensure none of the above ever happens to you. Now bellow is a list of the best security apps available in the market, some are priced, some have a trial version while most are free. I would suggest you go through the list first and read all the specifications as each of the listed app has something special to offer.

#1.Lookout Mobile Security (Free and Premium)

The number one contender. There are so many apps out there , still none to beat this one. Its special features include:

Backup and Restore data online

Anti-theft (with GPS locator)

Scan for Virus and other malwares

Option for remote lock and scream

The last one Remote lock and wipe data is only available in the premium version. Along with this you also get enhanced backup and a Privacy Advisor. I personally don't feel the need to buy the premium version, the free version has all the required capabilities that one needs.

#2.AVG Antivirus (Free)

You must have definitely used this or heard of it. One of the most renown names in the computer anti-virus industry. This one is highly recommended if you want to scan your sms and emails to be sure that they are virus free! You can also scan selected media,apps and other phone contents.

#3.Norton Mobile Security (Free)

Name sounds familiar right? Norton Mobile Security is bought to you by Symantec's another leading company in the field of computers. Like AVG Antivirus it also has similar features. But not only can you scan and remove malware but you can also remote lock and wipe your phone instantly using by phone text.
Other salient features include :
Lock down SIM Card (no other sim card can be used in its place).
Block unwanted calls and text.

#4.WaveSecure Mobile Security (Premium only)

Not very impressed by this one. It offers very similar features like the other one. Remote lock and wipe, Back up and Restore , however it does not offer the ability to scan and remove malware.
But the reason why its still listed here is because of its ability to be invisible to the thiefs and by installing WaveSecure UninstallProtection, it is not possible to uninstall this software without a password, giving it an edge over the other security apps.
Premium version is for $20-per-year . Pretty expensive! Well good things come at a high price.

#5.Wheres My Droid (Free)

This list would have been incomplete without me mentioning this one. I did place this last but in fact had this been a list of anti-theft apps only , then I would have placed this at number one position. This is one of the very first anti-theft Android app with the ability to track down the lost phone. Its most helpful feature is that it sends the details (phone number and GPS coordinates) when a new SIM card is inserted, this is useful to trace the phone's new owner/the thief.

A must for every Android user!

I cannot stress on the importance of these security apps. Simply install one of these and leave it ,they will come very handy when in need. As mentioned earlier the choice is yours , test out a few of them and then decide which one suits your needs the best.