Most Antivirus apps on Google Play suck at detecting malware

Don't assume every antivirus app on Android will keep you safe. Ironically, many of them are dodgy and can fail to detect common strains of malware, according to new research.

The antivirus testing group AV-Comparatives recently tested 250 antimalware security apps available on the Google Play Store — and unfortunately most underperformed.

According to the tests, 138 of the apps detected less than 30 percent of the malware samples or had a tendency to falsely flag clean files as bad. Some of these apps also appear to be fake, and may even possess some malicious functions.

A seperate group of 32 apps were later pulled from the Google Play Store during the testing process. It isn't clear why, but AV-Comparatives said the apps were likely developed by amateurs or non-security vendors that were more focused on making money through ads.

AV-Comparatives conducted the test on a Samsung S9 phone by using 2,000 of the most common Android malware threats of 2018, and seeing whether the security apps could flag them as malicious. "With such samples, detection rates of between 90 percent and 100 percent should be easily achieved by genuine and effective antimalware apps," AV-Comparatives said in its report.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

But out of 250 apps, only 23 of them were able to detect all 100 percent of the malware samples. The top-performing vendors included Avast, Bitdefender, ESET, F-Secure, Kaspersky Lab and McAfee, among others.

So how should you pick an antivirus app? Well, don't depend on the user reviews. Sometimes, the reviews can be faked, AV-Comparatives said. In addition, the vast majority of consumers generally lack the technical knowledge to determine how the app is exactly protecting their phone.

"Most of the 250 apps we looked at had a review score of 4 or higher on the Google Play Store," AV-Comparatives noted. "Similarly, the number of downloads can only be a very rough guide; a successful scam app may be downloaded many times before it is found to be a scam."

Past security research has also uncovered hackers exploiting fake antivirus apps to trick unassuming users into downloading malware to their devices. So to find effective antivirus products, AV-Comparatives suggests you stick with well-known, reputable vendors.

The company's test of the 250 apps contains a list of the best-performing Android security apps. The same list also points out the underperforming vendors, many of which we've never heard before.

You can also check out our own recommendations. All the vendors on PCMag's list scored 100 percent on AV-Comparative's malware detection test, except for Webroot, which scored a 97 percent detection rate.