SMBs with a fleet of Android smartphones can now better protect themselves against mobile data theft from cyber crime and the loss or theft of devices, thanks to a new app from McAfee Mobile.
McAfee has teamed with Vodafone to launch the McAfee Mobile Security app, a monthly subscription-based security service for selected Android smartphones.
According to McAfee chief technology officer Michael Sentonas, mobiles are now major record keepers for many businesses, making it important they have security in place to protect against mobile data theft.
“The anxiety we feel when we believe that we have lost our device is not only to do with the inconvenience of the loss; the next questions we ask are who has access to the information on the device and what will they do with it?”
Features of the McAfee Mobile Security app include:
- Anti-theft Protection
- Device Lock: Prevents misuse of the users phone and personal data by remotely locking all data, including the data on the memory (SIM) card, and displaying a “contact me” message on the device.
- Remotely Wipe Data: Protects privacy by remotely deleting the data on the phone and removable memory card. It can also back up data before the remote wipe to prevent the loss of data on the device.
- Backup and Restore Data: Preserves irreplaceable personal information on demand, on a schedule, or before wiping a missing smartphone, then restores information to the new device.
- Locate and Track: Helps users to recover their smartphone if it is lost or stolen. Users can view the device’s location on a map, send an SMS to prompt its return and use a remote alarm to make it “scream”.
- Display of a personalised message with instructions regarding how to contact the owner to return a lost device.
- Complete Anti-virus, Anti-spyware and Anti-phishing Protection: Scans and cleans malicious code from inbound emails, outbound emails, text messages, attachments and files.
- Web Protection: McAfee SiteAdvisor protects against Web threats by blocking risky links within SMS, email and social networking sites. It also safeguards against potential phishing sites, browser exploits and malicious quick response (QR) codes.
- Online Management: The McAfee Web portal lets users quickly execute needed security tasks, such as backup, restore, locate, and remote lock and wipe.
- Uninstall Protection: Prevents a thief or another user from bypassing their McAfee mobile protection.
The app is available now for download from the Vodafone website, at a cost of $3 a month after the first month, which is free. Supported operating systems include Google Android 2.1 – 3.0 smartphones.
