AV-TEST: Android Security Apps Undergo Six-Month Endurance Test

Security firm AV-TEST - SITS Deutschland GmbH has concluded a comprehensive six-month endurance test involving 16 different Android security applications. The objective was to determine which apps offer the most robust protection against the escalating cyber threats targeting mobile devices. The testing was conducted in AV-TEST's laboratories between May and October 2022.

In today's digital landscape, Android devices are persistently targeted by phishing attempts and malware. Cybercriminals exploit even official app stores to distribute malicious software capable of compromising device data or incorporating the device into larger attack botnets. Consequently, the role of a reliable security application has become increasingly critical.

The evaluation focused on the apps' capabilities in detecting and neutralizing both new and existing malware. A total of over 18,000 malicious applications were tested. Seven applications—Avast, AVG, Bitdefender, Norton, Trend Micro, G DATA, and Kaspersky—achieved a perfect 100 percent detection rate in both real-time testing and against the reference set of known malware. The majority of other tested applications also performed commendably, with detection rates exceeding 99 percent.

Google's native security solution, Play Protect, yielded only moderate results in the test, ranking second to last. It detected just 85.8 percent of new threats in the real-time test, leaving a significant number of potentially harmful apps undetected. Notably, all tested applications performed excellently in terms of battery consumption and system load, indicating that effective security does not necessarily compromise device performance or excessively drain battery life.