Mobile A/V: Is it worth it?

In the mid 2010's, mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets have become ubiquitous with users employing these gadgets for various applications. While this pervasive adoption of mobile devices offers numerous advantages, attackers have leveraged the languid attitude of device owners to secure the owner's gadgets. The diversity of mobile devices exposes them to a variety of security threats, as the industry lacks a comprehensive solution to protect mobile devices. In a bid to secure their assets and informational resources, individuals and corporations have turned to commercial mobile antivirus software. Most security providers present mobile versions of their PC antivirus applications, which are primarily based on the conventional signature-based detection techniques. Although the signature-based strategy can be valuable in identifying and mitigating profiled malware, it is not as effective in detecting unknown, new, or evolving threats, as it lacks adequate information and signature regarding these infections. Mobile attackers have remained ahead via obfuscation and transformation methods to bypass detection techniques. This paper seeks to ascertain whether current mobile antivirus solutions are effective, in addition to which default Android settings assist in the prevention or mitigation of various malware and their consequences.