Have an antivirus app on your Android phone? It might be a sham

An analysis by AV-Comparatives showed that out of 250 Android antivirus apps on Google Play Storee, only 80 apps passed a basic detection test.

Read this before downloading any antivirus app on your phone. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

About two-thirds of antivirus apps on Android are nothing but a sham, a latest study has discovered.

Austrian antivirus testing company AV-Comparatives analysed 250 Android antivirus app available on the official Google Play Store and discovered that only 80 apps passed a basic detection test in which they were able to detect more than 30 percent of the malware.

The security researchers used 2,000 most common Android malware threats of 2018 for the extensive study. It was found that only 23 apps detected 100 percent of the malware samples.

Some of the apps were unable to even detect the malware which was from last year, even as it is expected them to have the threats already indexed. 55 percent of the tested apps offered insufficient malware protection.

The researchers recommended users to not fall for the user ratings as majority of users may not be aware of the effectiveness of the antivirus app installed on their device and may end up rating it higher. Similarly, one should not rely on the reviews either as some developers may also fake them. The number of downloads can also be a tough parameter to judge the authenticity of the app. A successful scam app may be downloaded many times before it is found to be a scam.

So how can one identify a good and effective antivirus app from the fraudulent one? The researchers recommend using apps only of well-known, verified, and reputable vendors.