Webroot Is Latest to Join Mobile Security Fray, Launching Android Product

With Android security threats in the headlines, the need for software to protect against mobile malware has clearly moved from theoretical to tangible.

The result is a push from both start-ups and traditional security firms, with Webroot becoming the latest software maker to offer a mobile-specific product.

On Monday, the company launched Webroot Mobile Security for Android–a program that comes in a basic free version as well as a more advanced paid edition that sells for $14.95 per year. Webroot says that, for now, Best Buy will be its exclusive outlet for the paid version.

As with other smartphone security software, the new Webroot product focuses not just on protecting against viruses but also managing the threats posed by the fact that smartphones are basically easily lost honeypots filled with tons of personal information.

“We believe in protecting you as an individual, not just the device you use to connect to the Internet,” Webroot vice president Quinn Curtis said in a statement. “With smartphones and tablets, we carry around vast amounts of personal data including our contacts, emails, passwords, and even financial information. This data is targeted by cybercriminals through malware, online scams, and device theft, and the market success of the Android mobile operating system provides the scale they need to make those attacks profitable.”

Webroot joins McAfee and AVG as well as Lookout Mobile Security, a well-funded start-up that focuses on smartphone security software.