oldschool's lean and mean Samsung J3 V

[oldschool]

Apps uninstalled or disabled where possible.

I trust Bitdefender more than Play Protect.

 

[Jack]

Hey @oldschool

Install Unknown Apps (Unknown Sources)

For which app do you have this option enabled?

2-Step Verification For Your Google or Apple Account: Disabled

Why don't you enable 2FA? If your password gets compromised you have a lot of data in the Google account. It's really easy to set up and you rarely need to add the codes.

Google Play Protect: Disabled

Why it's disabled? It's not a very good scanner but it doesn't hurt to have this enabled.

Data Backup: Manual - contacts only, as needed

What happens when you change your phone? Do you copy/paste all the pictures? Or what happens if your phone gets broken? Why not use Google Photos with Unlimited free storage to always have a back-up of your pictures?

Real-Time Protection: None

I'm not going to recommend anything for now, because you really need to look into Data Backup & 2FA. No real reason not to set up these two at least.


Generally speaking, you do have more valuable data on your phone than on your PC so it would make sense to secure it better. For now, Android malware is not a big threat, however, if you look at what's happening with macOS, it won't take long before Android will be the next target.

 

[upnorth]

I trust Bitdefender more than Play Protect.

Personal I wouldn't as Play Protect automatically from time to time scan not only your installed apps but also when you install new.

Also some other stuff you perhaps should consider enable. Other than that, warm welcome to the Spy club.

 

[ForgottenSeer 85179]

Bluetooth Firewall

You mean Bluetooth Firewall - Apps on Google Play ?

Just disable Bluetooth if not needed.
This improve also your battery, beside privacy and security.
No need to install more Attack Surface

 

[oldschool]

For which app do you have this option enabled?

I've disabled sideloading of untrusted apps for all apps. I enable for Brave only as needed. IOW I enable this feature if I'm installing something untrusted. I've only ever done this for Adguard and Blockada APKs, which have been removed.

No 2FA because I don't use Google, very rarely install apps, never paid apps.

No photos on phone, except a few random ones that anyone is welcome to.

My only data are Contacts. That's it.

No email, photos, files, etc.

I only use it for a phone, occasional texts, and very rarely browsing trusted sites.

It's a junk phone. Very low-end.

I truly am old school, but I will consider suggestions. Maybe try Sophos again.

Personal I wouldn't as Play Protect automatically from time to time scan not only your installed apps but also when you install new.

Bitdefender Free does the same.

I knew I would catch flak for this setup. Does that make me a troll?

Thanks everyone.

 

[upnorth]

I knew I would catch flak for this setup.

It's just a phone and not the end of the world, but if you want another tag you already know now what needs fixed.

 

[oldschool]

Added Sophos Intercept X - The setup and overall app is much easier to manage than the previous Sophos Free Antivirus. I'll see how it is on battery consumption. I'll update after a while.

Removed Bitdefender Free

 

[Protomartyr]

Would love to hear your opinion on Sophos Intercept X vs Bitdefender Free for mobile.

 

[Lenny_Fox]

@oldschool

I am not against Sophos, using Sophos Free on access on my Linux Manjaro partition, but . . . an antivirus on an un-rooted Android phone really has not much operating room. It has less rights than a standard user on Windows for references, its operating space is comparable to Windows store app. With this in mind all tech talk of intercept X is just bla, bla, bla (to use your own words).

When you don't use advance functions like 'locating a lost phone', 'encrypting data on a lost phone', 'permission evaluation of installed apps" or a firewall (which is also a wagon full of bull $h1t on unrooted Android), you better stick to an antivirus which has a good (old school) blacklist for Android. Simply because that is basically all an Android Av is allowed to do.

Like @Jack I am also lost why you don't disable side loading of apps from unsafe sources or enable the Google Play scanner, The first one does not eat CPU nor drain battery, the second only when installing apps from Google App Store (like Bitdefender does).

Best security manual check you can do, is browse through your apps permission and tighten what they are have access to.

I also rarely install apps and when I check Bitdefender's Free battery usage (which I have NOT set to optimize) it has only used 0.3% of the battery's capacity, compared to Google play service (also NOT optimized to receive updates of Apps) being 0.2%. Bitdefender uses a little more energy than Google Play protect, because it has to monitor apps being written to your phone.

 

[oldschool]

With this in mind all tech talk of intercept X is just bla, bla, bla (to use your own words).

InterceptX apparently replaced the old Sophos Free for Android, I think because it has features available for business phones.

Like @Jack I am also lost why you don't disable side loading of apps from unsafe sources or enable the Google Play scanner, The first one does not eat CPU nor drain battery, the second only when installing apps from Google App Store (like Bitdefender does).

Maybe you missed this?

I've disabled sideloading of untrusted apps for all apps. I enable for Brave only as needed. IOW I enable this feature if I'm installing something untrusted. I've only ever done this for Adguard and Blockada APKs, which have been removed.

Best security manual check you can do, is browse through your apps permission and tighten what they are have access to.

Already done. Plus, I have no non-default apps, and have uninstalled as many as possible.

I re-enabled Play Protect when I uninstalled BD.

 

[Sampei Nihira]

I've disabled sideloading of untrusted apps for all apps. I enable for Brave only as needed. IOW I enable this feature if I'm installing something untrusted. I've only ever done this for Adguard and Blockada APKs, which have been removed.

No 2FA because I don't use Google, very rarely install apps, never paid apps.

No photos on phone, except a few random ones that anyone is welcome to.

My only data are Contacts. That's it.

No email, photos, files, etc.

I only use it for a phone, occasional texts, and very rarely browsing trusted sites.

It's a junk phone. Very low-end.

I truly am old school, but I will consider suggestions. Maybe try Sophos again.



Bitdefender Free does the same.

I knew I would catch flak for this setup. Does that make me a troll?

Thanks everyone.

If yours is trash, mine is the Flintstones smartphone.....................
A few years ago my daughter threw her Samsung Galaxy ACE into the trash and I had fun recovering, installing at least 40 apps when everyone said it was impossible.
Not to mention the fact that the current internal memory is still 104 MB today.
He is still alive today.

But smartphones are not my sector .....

 

[oldschool]

Updated to show enabled 2FA.

@Protomartyr @Lenny_Linux Sophos InterceptX is still active. I don't notice any protection difference from BD, but I mostly make calls. That is all.

 

[Gandalf_The_Grey]

Updated to show enabled 2FA.

@Protomartyr @Lenny_Linux Sophos InterceptX is still active. I don't notice any protection difference from BD, but I mostly make calls. That is all.

When you launch a (supported) webbrowser you get a notification that web filtering is on.
And of course the device and network security settings are great (one time setup) and not available in Bitdefender Free.

 

[oldschool]

When you launch a (supported) webbrowser you get a notification that web filtering is on.

This is the main reason I use it.