Trend Micro Mobile Security & Antivirus 3.0 (for Android)

Firing up Trend Micro's Mobile Security & Antivirus for Android (a free download, with a $29.99 annual subscription fee) I was immediately impressed by the breadth of options and the slick, straightforward interface of the app. On the main page, eye-catching orange letters alert you to potential issues, or happy green text informs you that "everything is OK" (perhaps taking a page from the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy's "Don't Panic").

The next page is a breakdown of the app's security tools, which include anti-malware; privacy protection; safe surfing and parental controls; call and text blocking; and anti-theft. Each of these tools has highly granular options, letting you arrange the level of security that fits how you use your device. It's a well-designed product backed up byTrend Micro's robust antivirus systems.

However, anti-theft issues prevented me from really falling in love with this app.

Anti-Malware and Privacy
Most people looking for security apps are probably most concerned about malware detection and removal. In this area, Trend Micro does quite well with a 97% detection rate from the independent lab AV-Test. PC Mag does not perform mobile anti-malware testing in-house.

From the settings menu, you can choose whether you'd like to scan only apps or all files. Triggering a full scan will also look for potential privacy issues, but more on that later. In my testing, I found that with 12 apps running in the background, Trend Micro performed an app-only scan in an average of 15.2 seconds. A scan of all files (1,086) with 12 apps running in the background took only slightly longer, an average of 17.6 seconds. This was faster than Kaspersky Mobile Security(for Android), though results will vary depending on how many apps and files are on your device. As with most other security apps, Trend Micro is designed to impact the user as little as possible. During a full system scan with 12 other apps running, I only noticed one slight stutter while playing Minecraft. Unlike Kaspersky Mobile Security , the app does not jump to the forefront once a scan is completed. It does generate a notification center alert after each scan.

Rebooting my Samsung Galaxy S III ?with Trend Micro running took an average of 32.1 seconds, about three seconds longer than the phone usually takes. It's only 3.7 additional seconds before the Trend Micro logo appeared in the status bar.

I also noticed during my testing that Trend Micro would occasionally create a second shortcut to itself on my device's homescreen. While not necessarily a problem, this was strange behavior that I saw on both the S III and the Nexus 7 . This would definitely be an issue for users with carefully curated homescreens.

To test how Trend Micro dealt with a potentially malicious app, I installed a legal penetration testing app. Trend Micro immediately warned me to delete the app. I ignored the warning and then performed a scan which also detected the potential threat. After doing so, the main page lit up with the words "action required' in large, orange letters. Tapping this brought up a list of potential threats, and from here I successfully uninstalled the app.

It's Not Just the Malware
Beyond malware, Trend Micro includes a data theft scanner. This appears to work by looking at the permissions for each app, using information the app pulls down from Trend Micro's cloud. According to the app, the highest risk apps collect messages, photos, contacts, phone numbers, audio recordings and more. It would seem that some, if not all, of this information could be found by looking at app permissions but the app helps bring permissions issues to your attention.

Both the malware and privacy scan is run during a system scan, though each can be triggered individually. Both scanning tools also provide continuous protection, scanning all new apps downloaded on to the device. By default, the malware scanner will automatically update weekly and perform a scan immediately thereafter.

Trend Micro's mobile security app also includes links to its Facebook privacy scanner and cloud back-up apps. These are not included in this review. While the Mobile Security app is free to download, after 30 days you'll need to pay a hefty annual fee. However, the malware scanner will continue to work indefinitely, even after the trial period has ended. The back-up and restore app is also free, up to 50MB of storage.

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