Sophos extends free apps for Android

SECURITY

Sophos has extended its protection for Android devices with the release of two free apps.

The latest version of Sophos Mobile Security for consumers and the new Sophos Mobile Encryption app secure Android devices against malware and privacy issues, provide loss and theft protection, and allow Sophos SafeGuard Enterprise users to securely access encrypted files stored in the cloud.

Both apps are available for free download from Google Play.

According to the recent Worldwide Smartphone 2012-2016 Forecast Update by IDC, Android-powered phones make up 69 % of the smartphone market. Many of these Android owners are using their devices to access business applications and related documents, including those on cloud storage solutions like Dropbox. As such, businesses must ensure data is secure and free from malware regardless of where it is stored or how it is accessed. 

Sophos Mobile Security is a free lightweight anti-virus app that protects Android devices against malware, privacy issues and hardware loss—without reducing performance or battery life. Among the enhancements in the new version, Sophos Mobile Security includes additional loss and theft mitigation features as well as the ability to schedule device scans for malware.

By scheduling scans, users can ensure they are consistently monitoring their devices for the latest malware. The enhanced loss and theft protection features allow pre-selected contacts from a user’s address book to send remote commands to a missing device via text message. These commands can help users find a misplaced phone by sounding a loud ringtone, sending a message to the phone for a finder to read, or wipe the device’s information if it is stolen or permanently lost. These features minimise the impact of losing a device and help to protect corporate data from unauthorised access.

Sophos Mobile Encryption allows Sophos SafeGuard Enterprise customers who use the Encryption for Cloud Storage module to securely view documents saved in Dropbox on their Android device. This ensures data encrypted by SafeGuard before being uploaded to the cloud is protected regardless of where or how the user accesses it. Users simply enter their password, and they can view encrypted documents on their mobile devices without compromising corporate security. An iOS version of this app is already available via Apple’s App Store, and Sophos plans to support further cloud storage providers such as Egnyte and Google Drive with future releases.

“Users want flexibility and the ability to take advantage of personal apps in their working environment. They use Dropbox to take their data with them and can be tempted to download apps from stores other than Google Play. As Android increases its global market share, Android devices and apps are becoming a prime target for data theft and attacks by cybercriminals,” says Brett Myroff, CEO of Sophos distributor, NetXactics.

“It has never been more important for individuals to have security applications on their devices. Sophos’ mobile security and encryption apps make it simple for Android users to have secure access to data no matter where it is stored or accessed, and provide organisations with peace of mind if a device is lost or stolen.”