233 Tech.

Lookout Mobile Security: Secure, Backup and Find Your Missing Phone

Posted on 11. Jul, 2010 by Nana Kwabena Owusu in Apptastic

Security on a smartphone is increasingly become an important topic as our devices become more and more complex and also become indispensable in daily life. Our devices store email, SMS, contact information and also social information from Facebook, Twitter and location services, data theft is a serious breech of your privacy. There have been several instances where it has been demonstrated that a smartphone could potentially be ‘hijacked’ through rogue software.  Another angle is the pain of loss or theft of your device which can send your personal and business activities into turmoil. As they say, there’s an app for that.

Lookout Mobile Security provides a free solution which seems to cater for all the possible scenarios when you lose your phone. The application which is is currently available for BlackBerry (OS 4.6 and above), Windows Mobile and Android devices allows you to;

Keep your mobile device safe from viruses, malware and hackers. Backup your mobile data securely. With mobile antivirus, surf the mobile web and download cool new apps without worrying about downloading viruses.

Lets take a look into how this app protects the devices its available on.

Malware protection

Mobile devices have a variety of attack points — SMS, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and downloads (PDFs and apps), to name a few. In addition, native browsers in all the modern mobile operating systems have deep integration and access to data and functions on the phone which make them super useful but also a point of vulnerability. Lookout Mobile Security has an antivirus as part of its security suite which protects your device while surfing on the web.  Lookout scans your device for malware and viruses, just as your desktop antivirus does and also has a firewall which further also protects against intrusions.

Data Loss

Backup, Backup, Backup. That is the most constant and simplest tech advice you’ll receive about your gadgets today.  Your mobile phone is no different as it contains your personal data including contacts, photos, music, video, e-mail, text messages and application data. Lookout backs up your data and keeps it secure remotely allowing you to restore your personal data in case of accidental deletion. It also allows you to transfer your data to a new device in an easier way.

Theft or Loss

Last and probably the most important feature sets of Lookout for me personally is this group. Losing your phone or having it stolen is one of the unpleasant things to have happen to you and there are three ways to get peace of mind with Lookout Mobile Security.

• Locate your device: Lookout allows you to locate your device on a map using the web. It can run but it cannot hide.

• Alarm: Let your phone sound an alarm that let’s you find your phone if its nearby or others potentially locate or let the thief know you know.

• Wipe: As a last resort and in cases where there is sensitive data on your device (stored info about your passwords, ATM & Debit card PINS) especially if your device is stolen along with other stuff, you can as Lookout puts it, ‘Nuke’ your device. This will wipe all data off the device.

Lookout protects you from the threats facing mobile devices today, all without needing advanced knowledge or the need for complex configuration. Set and forget. There’s also emphasis on it being a lightweight solution and also not being a battery drain even though it works in the background constantly. There are other security software but this looks like a good and capable suite which is free and a million users (since it launched 6 months ago) probably don’t lie. Download Lookout Mobile Security.

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Tags: android, antivirus, apps, backup, blackberry, mobile, security, smartphones, Windows Mobile