Avira upgrades iOS and Android app with new security features

TETTNANG, GERMANY: Avira upgraded its free Avira Mobile Security for iOS app with two new features: Identity Safeguard and Locate Device (up to five iOS and/or Android devices), and also has added three features to its new premium Avira Antivirus Security Pro app which is now available for every Android smartphone and tablet owner.

With Avira Mobile Security for iOS, Avira is the only security vendor to offer iOS users a feature called Identity Safeguard, which ensures an individual's personal email is not one of the 160 million that have been caught in security breaches in the last six months alone.

Users can see if their personal identity details have been leaked in any security breaches, and an on demand scanner allows the user to scan their entire address book to detect any compromised contacts. If any contacts have been compromised, users can email any breached contacts directly to alert them about the danger.

Avira also gives iOS users a new feature called Locate Device, which monitors and keeps track of up to five devices. Users can see at any time on a map where a specific iPhone, iPad, Android phone or tablet device is and those devices can be made to ring to help locate them. The app can be used on any iPhone or iPad to manage all the devices.

"With our free app for iOS users, Avira has changed the paradigm for iOS security," said Leon Crutchley, mobile products manager for Avira. "Not only can users ensure that their identity has not been compromised, but they can check all the people in their contacts to find out if their email address have been compromised as well. Add in the ability to locate multiple iOS and Android devices in real-time from your iPhone, and you've got a new definition of security for iOS."

Avira added the following three premium features to Avira Antivirus Security Pro:

• Browse Safely - Infectious websites are blocked using powerful real time URL monitoring technology so users will not be duped by fraudsters or phishing attacks.

• Hourly Updates - Mobile devices are always at risk from the most recent malware attacks, so Avira will keep the device safe with frequent updates so users have confidence that they're always protected.

• Quick Support Access - If a user has a problem, Avira experts are just a call or a click away.

"It is common knowledge that many malware attacks now come through the browser, not just from malicious apps, and that is just unacceptable to those Android users who simply want to stay safe while surfing, playing or working on their mobile Android device," explained Crutchley. "We have worked very hard to provide our users that want protection everywhere, a premium app that keeps them safe when browsing online and also when they are using any app on their device."

Avira Mobile Security for iOS is free. Avira Antivirus Security Pro upgrade costs $9.99 (7.95 euros). Both apps are available directly from Avira's website.

Avira Mobile Security for iOS v.1.4 is available for devices running iOS 7.0 and above and is optimized for iPhone 5. It is currently available for German and English language devices but other languages will be added as quickly as possible.