# Antivirus for the Fire



## Vegas_Asian (Nov 2, 2008)

The program I use for my phone isn't availible in amazon's app store. Anyone have any recommendations.

Sent from my Kindle Fire using Tapatalk


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

I don't see a need so haven't looked. . .but here's a list of what's available in the Amazon Appstore for Android:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_4?url=search-alias%3Dmobile-apps&field-keywords=antivirus&x=0&y=0&sprefix=anti

Some are rated better than others; I've not checked to see which are compatible with the Fire.

I expect there are others through 3rd party sites as well.


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## Malweth (Oct 18, 2009)

Ann in Arlington said:


> I don't see a need so haven't looked. . .but here's a list of what's available in the Amazon Appstore for Android:
> 
> http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_4?url=search-alias%3Dmobile-apps&field-keywords=antivirus&x=0&y=0&sprefix=anti
> 
> ...


As long as you only use Amazon's app store you should be relatively safe (never perfectly safe, but that's always true). If you use 3rd party apps and app stores, your risk increases.

Information security is all about managing risk.


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## Bigal-sa (Mar 27, 2010)

You're using Linux, so you should be safe, especially if you don't root your device and you don't install apps that aren't from the Amazon store. 

Sent from my U20i using Tapatalk


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Bigal-sa said:


> You're using Linux, so you should be safe, especially if you don't root your device and you don't install apps that aren't from the Amazon store.
> 
> Sent from my U20i using Tapatalk


 The Fire is based on an android platform. . . . . not Linux. 

I agree that you can probably generally regard apps available in Amazon's store as 'safe'. But apps can be loaded from other places without rooting. So if you expect to do that it's probably not a bad idea to look into some security.


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## Malweth (Oct 18, 2009)

Android is linux based, but that doesn't mean you're safe. Saying that you're safe because you're running linux is a fallacy. Windows XP is the most hacked OS simply because so many people are using it... Android is an extremely popular OS, it's just relatively new. Yes, it's more secure - XP is from a previous era in computing, but nothing connected to the internet is perfectly safe.

Personally, I'm not going to worry too much... I'm also not going to store banking information (or other personal info) on the device!


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## Meemo (Oct 27, 2008)

I got Dr Web - it was free and it might not be doing anything, but it makes me feel better.  I'd worry less if I were only getting apps from Amazon, but I'm not - so I figured I'd do what I can - and the douches have been putting malware in (on?) Android apps.


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## FloridaFire (Nov 21, 2011)

Meemo said:


> I got Dr Web - it was free and it might not be doing anything, but it makes me feel better.  I'd worry less if I were only getting apps from Amazon, but I'm not - so I figured I'd do what I can - and the douches have been putting malware in (on?) Android apps.


I've been using this program since I got my fire


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## sparklemotion (Jan 13, 2011)

I wondered about using anti virus. My friend uses it on their fire, but I guess I never felt it was necessary really. I do sometimes download apps from places besides Amazon so that makes me wonder now..


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## FloridaFire (Nov 21, 2011)

sparklemotion said:


> I wondered about using anti virus. My friend uses it on their fire, but I guess I never felt it was necessary really. I do sometimes download apps from places besides Amazon so that makes me wonder now..


I only use Amazon exclusively but I still like having the virus protection running in the background.


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## Lambert (Nov 12, 2010)

Wonder if this one would work?
https://store.digitalriver.com/store?Action=buy&Affiliate=DREmail_US_KTSXsell&CAMPAIGN=EMA1674249&Locale=en_US&OfferID=8047747409&ProductID=231255800&SiteID=kasperus&ThemeID=5035800&currency=USD&emv_mid=1109619779&emv_rid=1058150143549&pgm=79162100&quantity=1


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Lambert said:


> Wonder if this one would work?
> https://store.digitalriver.com/store?Action=buy&Affiliate=DREmail_US_KTSXsell&CAMPAIGN=EMA1674249&Locale=en_US&OfferID=8047747409&ProductID=231255800&SiteID=kasperus&ThemeID=5035800&currency=USD&emv_mid=1109619779&emv_rid=1058150143549&pgm=79162100&quantity=1


It's got a money back guarantee...

Betsy


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## Bigal-sa (Mar 27, 2010)

@Ann: As this poster said, Android is a linux variant.



Malweth said:


> Android is linux based, but that doesn't mean you're safe. Saying that you're safe because you're running linux is a fallacy. Windows XP is the most hacked OS simply because so many people are using it... Android is an extremely popular OS, it's just relatively new. Yes, it's more secure - XP is from a previous era in computing, but nothing connected to the internet is perfectly safe.


Let me tell you why linux is safer than windows, it has nothing to do with the user base, but rather everything to do with how the system is run. On a windows system, any user can install software to the system (this has changed a bit with vista and win7, but not much). This also means software can install other software. On a linux system you have to be the system administrator (root) to install software. As a normal linux user, you cannot modify or add any files to the system directories, you can only use them (and some of them you can't use either, unless you're root).

Linux software is usually installed from what is known as repositories (think of this as your app store). With most linux distributions, software is vetted to get into the repositories, which makes any apps inherently much safer than windows software, for which there is no vetting. Installing software from the linux repositories means the chances of getting linux viruses are minimised.

Unfortunately, it's very easy to have an app added to the Android app stores. There is some vetting, but with the proliferation of app stores, who knows what is safe?

To root your Android device means you are running all software as the system administrator, so any malicious software can modify and add to the system files. So my advice is **do not** root your Android device. You are making it so much easier for viruses to get in. Always rather ask yourself: why would this software want root access? do I really *need* this feature?

Remember too, the vast majority of Android users out the are not linux experts, so be wary of the advice you find on the web.

(I hope this rather lengthy input is meaningful as my head is not too clear after the unwanted noise of the new year's fireworks.)


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