Sophos Mobile Security for Android review, manual and guides

Sophos Mobile Security for Android[1] is developed by Sophos Limited. Sophos Group Ltd is a British-based company specializing in digital security industry.

The security vendor focuses on award-winning security and privacy products, next-gen protection, mobile security and management, network, servers, and endpoint protection for both home users and businesses.[2]

Sophos Mobile Security for Android Review

Sophos provides a variety of applications and free tools, such as Sophos Home for PCs and Macs, Sophos Mobile Security for iOS, HitmanPro Malware Removal Tool, Sophos Mobile Security for Android, Sophos XG Firewall Home Edition, Virus Removal Tool, Sophos UTM Home Edition and Sophos Antivirus for Linux Free Edition. As you can see, the company makes some useful and free apps for all types of devices, across all the major operating systems.

When it comes to Android, the company also provides users with a number of apps, such as Sophos Mobile Security, Sophos Mobile Control, Sophos Security & Antivirus Guard, Sophos Secure Workspace, Sophos NFC Provisioning, Sophos Secure Email, Sophos LG Plugin, and Sophos Samsung Plugin.

Sophos Mobile Security for Android is a free application that offers award-winning security for Android smartphones and tablets without compromising performance or battery life, It includes real-time synchronization with SophosLabs that ensures the highest level of security. The app is available at the official Google Play app store for free.[3]

We decided to test the application and see how good it actually is.

Test results

We tested the application using our test device Samsung Galaxy S8 G950F 64 GB. The download and installation were pretty quick and did not take longer than other applications. What we really liked, that Sophos Mobile Security for Android is advertisement-free so we did not face any unnecessary interruptions.

Antivirus protection

In order to protect Android devices, Sophos applies real-time synchronization with SophosLabs, so the Android device is protected even from the latest threats and malware. Sophos Mobile Security for Android identifies malicious and potentially unwanted applications that could lead to serious device infection, data theft or data loss.

We had some malware installed in our Android test device, and Sophos Mobile Security managed to detect and remove all of them. The app includes web protection, so our attempts to visit malicious or phishing websites were also unsuccessful – Sophos detected and stopped all of them.Sophos Mobile Security for Android Features

To get a better insight, we checked how the application performed in bigger tests, such as AV-TEST[4] conducted a test in May 2018. According to AV-TEST, Sophos Mobile Security detected 100% of both, the latest Android malware in real time, and the latest widespread Android malware. However, when it comes to false positives, the Sophos disappointed us a bit. The application delivered 127 false positives in total. 31 false warning during and usage of legitimate apps from the official Google Play app store and 96 false warnings during the installation and usage of legitimate software from third-party app stores.

As you can see, Sophos Mobile Security for Android offers advanced protection, however, it also may warn you about a legitimate and safe software, which can be a little bit annoying.

Additional features

As a free application, Sophos Mobile Security surprised us by offering a wide list of security and privacy features that usually come in paid and premium versions of the apps.

Sophos Mobile Security includes a decent set of Anti-malware and antivirus protection features, such as:

  • Scans of newly installed apps,
  • Scans of previously installed apps both on the device and storage devices,
  • On-demand scans or scheduled scans,
  • Protection against malicious use of USSDs,
  • Up to minute threat intelligence from the cloud.

Data theft and loss protection features:

  • Remote lock or wipe of missing device,
  • Text commands,
  • Remote alarm,
  • Display a message on a screen,
  • Reset a passcode,
  • Tracking. Technology enables users to locate the device,
  • Notifications about a SIM change.

Spam Protection

  • Incoming SMS filters,
  • Quarantine texts with malicious URLs,
  • Call block.

Privacy Protection and Security features:

  • Detection of apps that access users’ personal data,
  • Easily detection of apps that involve costs or fees,
  • Free security and privacy advise.

Authenticator features:

  • Generation of both time-based TOTP (RFC 6238) or counter-based HOTP (RFC 4226) one-time passwords,
  • Enables multi-factor authentication,
  • Enables users to manage multiple accounts from a single device.

Secure QR Scanner:

  • Checks the target URL from malicious content before opening,
  • All the security issues will be flagged,
  • QR code signatures.

However, some advanced features are missing, such as backups or encryption.

Just do not forget, Sophos Mobile Security for Android is a free app and offers one of the longest lists of free features in the market.

Sophos Mobile Security and Antivirus for Android

System-Performance impact and scans

As it was mentioned before, while using the app we did not notice any slowdowns or interruptions. What is even better the app did not impact our test device’s battery life.  Scans run smooth and accurate. The full scan took an average – less than a minute. It is also important that Sophos Mobile Security scans all the apps automatically just after the installation or update. During scans, the system was impacted about 30% which is not noticeable for an average user. The full scan of every installed app also causes a one-time increase I battery usage.

Malware definitions are updating daily, this uses a small amount of data.

In fact, according to AV-TEST, Sophos Mobile Security for Android does not impact the battery life, does not slow down the device during normal usage and does not generate too much traffic.

Customer Support

Sophos offers users a technical support such as opening a support case for technical assistance, live chat, and Twitter support. Users can choose the support according to their device or a type of support they require. What is more, Sophos offers a support community with discussion forums, advisory articles, and product information.

Sophos Mobile Security Privacy Features for Android

User interface

When it comes to the user interface, Sophos Mobile Security for Android is very clear and open. The interface is simple, all the features are easily accessible within a couple clicks.

The interface is very informative and could seem a bit complex at first, but once you get used to it, it looks convenient and simple.

Feature Score
Antivirus protection Excellent
Security and Privacy features Long list of free features
Scanning performance Efficient and informative scans
System-performance hit Minimal
User interface Simple

The final verdict

Sophos Mobile Security for Android is one of the best security apps out there and offers a long list of additional features for free. We enjoyed that the app has a full set of features, no advertisements, and is all free. However, a number of false positives can get a bit annoying.

About the author
Linas Kiguolis
Linas Kiguolis - Senior IT developer

Linas Kiguolis is a senior IT developer and news editor at Reviewedbypro.com. He has a major in Applied Computer Science because IT has been his passion for a very long time even before he went to college.

Contact Linas Kiguolis
About the company Esolutions

References
The world’s leading VPN
News
Subscribe
Privacy
Security
Recovery