Android security threats

[LemonScrub]

How common are android security threats?, like virus's and such if one sticks to the google play store?..

I know of many people that do not have any passwords on their phones.. how can you check that someone hasnt rooted their phone and loaded some kind of keylogger, spyware or malware. as im sure avast wouldnt be able to protect from someone getting your phone, rooting and sideloading a hidden app or system task?

 

[LCBXX]

Sophos mobile security works nice for me. I side-load a crap-load of stuff on my rooted S2; many pirated APK's have malware coded into them.

 

[LemonScrub]

do all apps show up in your downloaded apps, even side loaded ones?, and even ones that might have malware.. if you get malware does it get totally removed if you removed the app?.. what about keeping alot of apps open at once, wont they be able to spy on each others process

 

[LCBXX]

do all apps show up in your downloaded apps, even side loaded ones?, and even ones that might have malware.. if you get malware does it get totally removed if you removed the app?.. what about keeping alot of apps open at once, wont they be able to spy on each others process

Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes. Obviously if your phone is rooted the malware can propagate itself as a root process and then not even a OS restore will get rid of it. You would have to do a fresh install of the OS. Good root agents, like SuperSU, by default will prompt you if an app wants root access before granting it.
Sophos has done something quite curious for me that I did not expect - I side-loaded a binary-news grabber that had did not have malware characteristics in the APK, but the app was modified to connect to the internet to call home. The call home happened but Sophos blocked & flagged the app's attempt's to download malware to my phone.

 

[Fox1]

How common are android security threats?, like virus's and such if one sticks to the google play store?..

I know of many people that do not have any passwords on their phones.. how can you check that someone hasnt rooted their phone and loaded some kind of keylogger, spyware or malware. as im sure avast wouldnt be able to protect from someone getting your phone, rooting and sideloading a hidden app or system task?

Avast Mobile does all of the above plus Anti-theft. Even protects against hard reset