# HDX....do I need an antivirus?



## PIZ (Nov 29, 2013)

My first tablet.  I have an iPod touch and never had Norton or anything.  My laptop has Norton 360.  Is an antivirus required for a tablet?  Do most people get one?  What do you recommend?


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Need?  Probably not.  But there are some reasonably well reviewed free ones that you might want. Betsy has come across a few apps with some malware.  Check the Free App of the Day thread . . .there are a couple mentioned today.


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## PIZ (Nov 29, 2013)

Thanks.  Do you have one installed Ann?


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

I do; every now and then, even one from the Amazon store has malware in it.  As Ann says, there are a couple of free ones in the Kindle Fire Free App of the Day thread.  I have TrustGo, which is in the thread.

Betsy


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## PIZ (Nov 29, 2013)

Ok. I thought someone called it kbaad

Sent from my KFTHWI using Tapatalk


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## PIZ (Nov 29, 2013)

I downloaded trustgo......... how do you use it?  Will it warn you as you are downloading it or do you have to run the scanner?

Sent from my KFTHWI using Tapatalk


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## HappyGuy (Nov 3, 2008)

"I thought someone called it kbaad" * K*indle* B*oard *A*lternate *A*pp of the *D*ay ... (not "bad", as in not good).


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

I do have one .  . . . got it when Betsy linked to it the other day.  Ran it and I have nothing problematic.  I understand it will warn you if you try to get something that does have malware.  Realize that the 'malware' is not likely to be anything that can freeze the device.  And, even if it does, that's pretty easily remedied removing the app and maybe doing a restart.  Or, worst case, resetting it to factory 'new'.  BUT, the nasty apps could have code that, when you're connected, sends information that you may NOT want sent -- your location, say, or, worse, stored passwords etc.  For me, THAT is the main reason to avoid such apps.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

PIZ said:


> Ok. I thought someone called it kbaad
> 
> Sent from my KFTHWI using Tapatalk





HappyGuy said:


> "I thought someone called it kbaad" * K*indle* B*oard *A*lternate *A*pp of the *D*ay ... (not "bad", as in not good).


Sorry, PIZ, I usually put an * by the KBAAD to spell it out...it's kind of a play on "BAD" though, because there usually only is a KBAAD if Amazon's app pick is bad. 

If you are getting apps from the Amazon store, the apps are pretty clean; occasionally you will get one with malware in it. TrustGo, and most other virus protection apps, will let you scan your device to see if the apps currently on it are clean and will check apps as you download them.

Betsy


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> Sorry, PIZ, I usually put an * by the KBAAD to spell it out...it's kind of a play on "BAD" though, because there usually only is a KBAAD if Amazon's app pick is bad.


Or, think of it as 1960's slang . . . groovy, hip, baad. 



> If you are getting apps from the Amazon store, the apps are pretty clean; occasionally you will get one with malware in it. TrustGo, and most other virus protection apps, will let you scan your device to see if the apps currently on it are clean and will check apps as you download them.
> 
> Betsy


I would also say that, if you get an app from Amazon that alerts your malware scanner, you should let Amazon know. I'm pretty sure they don't want to be selling them! And if it's something you paid for, they'll probably give you a refund credit.


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## SheilaJ (Apr 10, 2011)

I got the trustgo the other day and ran it to check the apps.  I had one that came up high risk - the high intensity flashlight app which I deleted.  There were also 6 or 7 that came back low risk.  All of these apps were dl'd from Amazon.  Should I worry about the low risk ones?  What does that mean anyway.

I'm not sure how to set it up to make websurfing safe though.  I'm talking about the HDX here although it probably works on the other fires as well right?


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

On the low risk ones, I ask for more info (I believe there's a details or info button) and get the name of the malware and then Google it.  For example, the Dominoes one, the risk was low and not something I thought would be a problem, so I ran it to test it.  Most of the time, even the low risk apps, though, aren't things I have to have, so I usually delete them, too.

As far as I know, all you have to do to have it screen websites is to enable that module.  Can't say how it works as I don't visit many websites except mainstream ones on my Fire.

Betsy


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## SheilaJ (Apr 10, 2011)

Thanks Betsy.  I didn't notice a info button but there probably was one.  I guess it doesn't screen the apps before you dl them.  You only find out there is a risk after you do a scan.  Thanks for the info.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

SheilaJ said:


> Thanks Betsy. I didn't notice a info button but there probably was one. I guess it doesn't screen the apps before you dl them. You only find out there is a risk after you do a scan. Thanks for the info.


Well, it does do it when you download/install but before your run it; that's when I got the info about the malware in yesterday's Free App. Then you are offered the opportunity to remove the app without running it.

I don't remember exactly what it was called "info" "details" or something, I thought. Will see if I can redownload yesterday's app to see exactly what it says.

Betsy


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Ok, there's not a details button but when you get the screen that says there's a low risk threat, you can tap on the app to get more info.

Here's the initial screen:










Here's after tapping on the item:










I then Googled the malware to see what I could learn but ultimately decided to delete the app.

Betsy

Sent from my Fire HDX7


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## 68564 (Mar 17, 2013)

There are three flavors of Trustgo... which did you get?


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## SheilaJ (Apr 10, 2011)

Thanks Betsy.  I got the KBAD that Betsy recommended the other day


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

You need the Anti-virus one:


The Carrier IQ one doesn't work on Fires as far as I can tell, and the Ad Defender is actually part of the Anti-Virus package, so if you have it, you don't need the Ad Defender.

Betsy


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## 68564 (Mar 17, 2013)

Cool, thanks! Still free so I grabbed it.


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