AT&T To Install Lookout Security App On All Android Phones

Lookout, the third of four major U.S carriers !!

One of the biggest names in mobile security, Lookout has recently struck a deal with AT&T (which makes AT&T the third of four major U.S carriers) to sell it’s Android devices with the Mobile Security app pre-installed. This agreement is indicative of a clear acknowledgement of the rising vulnerability (and hence customer’s rising insecurity) of the Android ecology, to viruses and other malware.

Lookout’s mission statement is to tackle the most important mobile security issues, from identifying emerging threats to preventing fraud and fighting cyber crime.

While Google has always claimed Android is a self-sufficient operating system when it comes to securing personal data or preventing unwanted malware from affecting the device but that has never seemed to convince even the most loyal of its users.

Yet, a few months ago, Google quietly started incorporating some strengthened defence mechanisms through the Android Device Manager.

Being open source ought to have some disadvantages too, right? All those unauthorized APK’s [an APK is an Android Application Package file… like a zip file, used to distribute and install applications onto devices running Android operating system] that we come across on the web can often get your phone in trouble before you realise it.

Other anti-virus giants like Symantec have also been raising alarms about growing threats to Android users, making them insecure and look out for reliable security solutions.

Other than virus and malware protection, Lookout also enables Android users to locate their device in case of theft, ring the device on full volume irrespective of its sound profile, lock their device and even erase all data with a single click, should the need arise. Lookout has a 4.5/5 rating on Google’s Play Store and has over 50 million downloads. Now, that’s a lot of downloads!

Back to the deal with telecom providers in the US, this deal enables the providers to pre-load the Lookout app to every Android phone they sell, and to charge customers for the app.

Normally customers are usually wary of apps that come pre-loaded with their mobile devices, commonly referred to as ‘Bloatware’ — the undesirability for such apps is induced by the fact that they can not be uninstalled or modified until the user ‘roots’ or manually tinkers with their device. These applications take up memory, slow the phone down and most often serve no practical purpose whatsoever. However, with Lookout we might be seeing a change in attitude towards pre-installed applications since it is a utilitarian software and quite effectively allows users a safer mobile experience and more piece of mind.

AT&T is currently shipping Samsung Galaxy Note 3 with Lookout, it’ll be interesting to observe how the present climate of opinion transmutes.

Originally published at Chip-Monks.