Kaspersky Lab’s mobile device security solution Kaspersky Internet Security for Android achieved the top score in an Android Malware Detection Test conducted in January 2014 by the independent organization PC Security Labs (PCSL). Kaspersky Lab’s product blocked 99.9% of threats, while the average result for competitor solutions was 86.6%.
Android is the most popular operating system for mobile devices. According to Gartner, in 2013, 78.4% of smartphones ran Android. The downside to the platform’s popularity is that it attracts cybercriminals; it was the target of 98% of all mobile malware programs detected by Kaspersky Lab in 2013. Many of these malicious programs are specifically designed to steal user’s money by sending text messages to premium-rate numbers, hijacking electronic account details, transferring money to cybercriminals, etc.
This situation is further complicated because more than half of mobile device owners neglect to install a security solution. These statistics were collected in a 2013 survey conducted jointly by B2B International and Kaspersky Lab.
To find out which security solutions best protect Android devices, PCSL tested 12 products from different vendors. They were pitted against a selection of 2,200+ malware samples. Kaspersky Internet Security for Android detected 99.909% of threats with no false positives. This was the best test result, matched by only one rival.
“As users keep increasing amounts of confidential information on their mobile devices, protection for smartphones and tablets is now essential. This is especially relevant to owners of Android devices – this platform is so popular that it has become the top target for cybercriminals,” said Oleg Ishanov, Director of Anti-Malware Research at Kaspersky Lab. “As PCSL’s testing has shown, Kaspersky Internet Security for Android provides reliable protection against malicious applications, many of which can inflict tangible damage to the user, including financial losses.”
Kaspersky Lab develops security solutions to protect both Android devices and those running other operating systems. In October 2013, the company released its free Kaspersky Safe Browser for the iOS operating system. This application safeguards users of Apple mobile devices from web pages with malicious and undesired content while browsing the net. In February 2014, Kaspersky Lab released a version of this program for smartphones running Microsoft Windows Phone.
