Most Antivirus apps on Google Play suck at detecting malware

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Don’t assume every antivirus app on Android will keep you safe. Ironically, many of them are dodgy and can fail to detect common strains of malware, according to new research.

The antivirus testing group AV-Comparatives recently tested 250 antimalware security apps available on the Google Play Store — and unfortunately most underperformed.

According to the tests, 138 of the apps detected less than 30 percent of the malware samples or had a tendency to falsely flag clean files as bad. Some of these apps also appear to be fake, and may even possess some malicious functions.

A seperate group of 32 apps were later pulled from the Google Play Store during the testing process. It isn’t clear why, but AV-Comparatives said the apps were likely developed by amateurs or non-security vendors that were more focused on making money through ads. Read more…

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