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Android Security Bulletin February 2017

If you have not already downloaded the SafeCentral Mobile Security for Android App on your Android device, please download the APK file by visiting the link in your Registration Email from your smartphone or tablet. David Glenn, director of enterprise operations for Del Monte Foods, a San Francisco-based food production and distribution company, says smartphones need to provide at least three key security features in order for his company to support it. The phone must force users to type a password in order to bring it up from an idle state; IT must be able to remotely wipe data from the phone; and data on the phone must be encrypted.

The features include the usual device scanning, app scanning, and real-time protection but also includes consistent antivirus database updates, anti-theft features, and the ability to remote lock your device in case you lose it. AVAST is definitely one of the heavier antivirus Android apps that we've found and it comes with a metric ton of features that creates a pretty sturdy experience.

You may already be using a firewall, but just in case, go into your security settings (in Windows under Control Panel > System and Security > Windows Firewall; and on a Mac under System Preferences > Security & Privacy > Firewall) and make sure your firewall is turned on. You can also edit which applications are allowed access by clicking on "allow a program or feature" in Windows and "advanced" in OS X. Your firewall is not an end-all, be-all protector , but it's always a good idea to make sure it's turned on.

Disclaimer: This section assumes you have read or skimmed the previous and have already taken advantage of basic security practices like two-factor authentication , strong passwords , browser extensions , phone encryption , and computer encryption All of those points are incredibly crucial for protecting your social media and communications, but we will not reiterate them here in-depth.

So while this new focus on decreasing the security response time on Android is admirable, there is still a long way to go before Android is as secure as it should be. While we applaud the OEMs and carriers working together with Google on this, we also hope more efforts starts being made to proactively seek out bugs rather than simply responding when an external researcher happens to pick up on an exploit.