OREANDA-NEWS. July 05, 2012. Kaspersky Lab presents a new version of Kaspersky Mobile Security, which provides integrated protection for Android smartphones. The program’s updated version offers new features, including ways to block infected and phishing websites used by cybercriminals to steal data.

The capabilities of smartphones have long since gone beyond telephone calls and text messaging. According to a study conducted in February and March 2012 by Harris Interactive, 16% of users store personal documents on their mobile devices, 53% use their devices to access email, and 47% access social networks via mobile devices. Overall, 62% of smartphone owners worldwide regularly use their mobile devices for Internet access.

With Kaspersky Mobile Security, smartphone owners can be confident that their devices and the data stored on them are secure. This updated solution from Kaspersky Lab employs traditional methods of anti-malware protection, combined with heuristics and cloud technologies. The application’s use of cloud security means a faster response to new malware and enables fast updates of information about malicious websites. A filter for unwanted calls and text messages, and a new web antivirus module, provide extra security. All of this ensures maximum protection against mobile threats, which has been demonstrated in several independent tests. For example, Kaspersky Mobile Security was among only three applications that detected all the malware from the test samples used in an independent test conducted by AV-test.org in early 2012.

Kaspersky Mobile Security provides blacklisting and whitelisting capabilities to protect the user from unwanted contacts. At the same time, the application secures personal data by hiding incoming and outgoing call history, text messages and contacts from prying eyes. If necessary, the application can be configured to automatically lock this information after a predefined period of time. The user can also hide this data remotely by sending a text with a command to the smartphone. The program can selectively delete data stored on the device or wipe all data if necessary.

Kaspersky Mobile Security not only protects important data from unauthorized access but also increases the owner’s chances of getting a lost or stolen device back. Upon receiving a message with a command, the program can pin down the smartphone’s location using the phone’s GSM module, cellular base stations or a nearby Wi-Fi network and inform the device’s owner. If a criminal replaces the SIM card in the device, the SIM Watch feature will automatically block the phone and email the new phone number to the device’s owner.

“The number of mobile threats is growing by the day, which means there is an ever-increasing risk that your device could be infected and important data could be lost. The new version of Kaspersky Mobile Security provides protection against malware as well as dangerous websites, including those used to steal online banking credentials. Whatever the threat faced by the user, Kaspersky Mobile Security will always help to protect the user’s data from theft and the smartphone from infection,” said Victor Dronov, senior mobile product development manager at Kaspersky Lab.