viaProtect app delivers smarter mobile security

The increasing trend towards using mobile devices has opened up users to a whole range of new threats. On mobiles insecure apps present a greater risk than traditional malware and viruses.

Announced at the RSA Conference, viaProtect allows consumers to take control of and protect the personal data on their devices.

The company behind the product, viaForensics, has been protecting enterprises and government organizations for years and now brings the same technology to the consumer. Unlike traditional mobile security apps, which use a database of known malicious apps to screen for viruses and malware, viaProtect monitors all apps for potential risks. For example, viaProtect can detect if an app handles your personal data insecurely by sending it unencrypted or to unsecured servers located overseas. As many as 75 percent of apps are "leaky", or insecure according to viaForensics.

"We believe that everyone is entitled to state-of-the-art protection from threats like identity theft and loss of privacy," says viaForensics CEO and Co-founder Andrew Hoog. "viaProtect utilizes the same technology that our enterprise customers rely on to protect mission-critical data. It’s a more sophisticated approach for a world that is becoming more mobile by the day and one that an informed consumer will want. We’re very proud to make it available".

By gathering mobile forensic, system, network, security and sensor data from devices, viaProtect can use statistical analysis and risk indicators to detect suspicious events or behavior. It allows an app to be monitored in real-time to predict potential risks or problems -- rather than just checking for known malicious apps.

It's built to work with Android and iOS platforms and users are given a device risk rating to let them know how safe their system is. They can learn how their phones and tablets are sending data and where it's going to. It's ideal for families too with a browser-based dashboard that can be used to monitor several devices in one place.

For more information about the product you can visit the viaProtect website.