TEL AVIV, ISRAEL--(Marketwire - August 2, 2010) - DroidSecurity™, the pioneer in cloud-based mobile security and the only company exclusively focused on protecting smartphones, netbooks and other devices and appliances running on the Android operating system, today announced that it has surpassed the 2.5 million-user threshold for its mobile security app, antivirus free. This milestone reflects some important trends taking place in the mobile security arena, including the security consciousness of Android users, the explosive growth of the Android marketplace, and an exceptionally strong user demand for security to help mitigate risks associated with mobile device usage.
Adoption for DroidSecurity Fueled by Android Growth, New Risks Posed by Mobile Apps and Devices
Android smartphone devices and applications continue to proliferate at an astonishing pace. According to one recent study by research firm NPD Group, the Android operating system continued to shake up the U.S. mobile phone market as Android OS edged out Apple's OS during the first quarter 2010. The number of applications on the Android market also is expected to see massive growth as Google facilitates the development of mobile programs for Android with do-it-yourself programs such as its recently-launched App Inventor, making it simple to create programs with little to no experience.
This strong momentum for Android is being witnessed directly by DroidSecurity and is evidenced in the company's recent user stats. For June 2010 (the most recent figures available), DroidSecurity reports it had over 500,000 new downloads of its antivirus free app. Of the 70,000+ apps currently available on the Android market, DroidSecurity antivirus free consistently ranks in the top 50 of most popular apps. According to company estimates, over 10% of all Android mobile devices today use DroidSecurity, making it the largest provider of anti-virus apps for the Android market and among the fastest growing apps today.
"Passing the 2.5 million mark for users was an important milestone for us, but we still feel that there is a green field of opportunity when it comes to making sure mobile devices are protected," said Dror Shalev, CTO and co-founder, DroidSecurity. "This means educating mobile users on the best practices that will allow them to leverage the power of their mobile devices without compromising security for them or their organizations."
High Risk Practices Mobile Users Should Avoid
DroidSecurity offers a "watch list" of known problems with Android apps at www.droidsecurity.com/securitycenter.html. The following types of mobile practices have proven to be high-risk and therefore should be avoided:
- Conducting online banking activities via unofficial apps
- Downloading apps from untrusted sources
- Using 3rd party open source libraries, apps and components that may harbor bugs and malicious code
- Allowing strangers to borrow their phones
- Letting others, including family members (kids in particular) play with their smartphones as they can download apps with malicious content
- Clicking on suspicious content coming through text messages, which might ask for your personal information, passwords or ask you to take urgent actions
- Installing apps that do not come with positive user feedback or ratings
Shalev, formerly a security architect at Check Point Software before co-founding DroidSecurity in 2009, adds that many of the same problems from the PC world transfer into the mobile space, but there are certain best practices mobile users should proactively exercise. "We strongly recommend that users track for unusually large phone, data or app bills and that they keep a close watch for cases of consistent shutdown or rebooting of phones as well as less talk time scenarios. And of course, mobile users should always ensure they have updated antivirus software and the latest OS patches installed on their Smartphone and other mobile devices."
About DroidSecurity:
DroidSecurity™, makers of the first full-featured Android anti-malware application DroidSecurity mobile Security Suite, was founded in 2009 and is based in Tel Aviv, Israel. DroidSecurity Internet Security Suite is the first Android application to leverage the Dalvik Java Virtual Machine (JVM) technology. This cloud-based antivirus solution is automatically updated and can be downloaded at http://www.droidsecurity.com/apps.html as well as on the Android market. This powerful application provides a wide-range of protection against viruses/malware and SMS/text spam, plus enables users to track lost smartphones and remotely wipe data for enhanced security and control. More information is available at www.droidsecurity.com.
©2010 All rights reserved. DroidSecurity™ Suite trademarks, service marks or registered trademarks are the property of DroidSecurity. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Contact Information:
Media Contacts:
Rich Mullikin
Activa PR
925.779.9115