Should I have antivirus on my iPad?

MadMax0, I'm not sure you apreciate how many people use the web. While *you* might be a regular forum visitor and keep up with current threads, many people will simply go to Google and enter a search phrase like; "Do I need anti virus for my iPad", and this thread shows up nicely with such a search...it's how I stumbled across it.

So while the thread is two years old, people *will* still find it (I did and I didn't look for long!) and will see the advice that there is no need for additional security protection on iOS devices because "of the way they are built", "becasue Apple checks all aps" and that "such protection is only relevant to Android or Windows devices"...all points made in this thread and which people may read and consider sound advice. My point was that this was invalid advice and was equally invalid two years ago. Therefore, for those that might come across this advice via a search engine, I wanted to leave some advice that in fact, additional protection should be considered and that sadly iOS devices are vulnerable like all others.

Your response to my post was that I'd be better placed putting my 'expert advice' into something more recent, which hardly rings of an endorsement of the point that people should consider additional security measures. Maybe you should re-read your original response as I would read it as directly contradicting my general advice, dismissing one of the recent vulnerabilities I mentioned as irrelevant and generally supporting the; "There's no need for additonal security on an iOS device" theme.

So maybe you need to consider your initial response, remembering that Google's memory is long and that people will still come across this thread *due to it's content, not it's date*, just as I did, and clarify whether you think the advice I left was 'irrelevant and would be better used on something more recent' or whether you think it reasonable advice you would support.

CyberSpecialist wrote:

So with all this said YES YOU SHOULD consider AV and security suites for your iOS device as they ARE NOT immune from attack.

As a "cyber-security specialist," you should understand why none of the anti-virus apps in the App Store will actually protect against any of the real threats to iOS. Due to the sandboxing in iOS, these apps are unable to do much more than scan e-mail and Dropbox - ie, files stored on servers that the app can be given access to, rather than on the iOS device itself, where the anti-virus apps are not allowed to look.

This is not to say that iOS is perfectly safe. Users need to be aware of things like the Masque Attack, since the mistaken belief that they are bulletproof will only help them fall for these tricks. However, the mistaken belief that installing some anti-virus app from the App Store will protect them, when it actually cannot, is equally bad.

since the mistaken belief that they are bulletproof will only help them fall for these tricks.

Precisely so, which is why I was trying to make the point responses here about you don't need to consider additional security are poor advice.

As to the sandboxing, that was breached a few times in iOS 7 and while these issues are believed resolved in iOS 8, give the researchers some time and don't be surprised if other breaches are discovered.

So go ahead and believe sandboxing and iOS will save you from everything, I only hope you don't get hit and suffer the consequences. iOS devices are becoming a more attractive target as the numbers of devices increase and due to the higher than average net worth of iOS users. They are making an increasingly attractive target to the bad guys

You are being entirely too aggressive and are missing the point entirely.

The topic of discussion here is whether or not to use anti-virus software on an iPad. You suggested that people should use anti-virus software on their iPad. That is not a valid suggestion, because anti-virus software on iOS cannot protect against the things you are talking about. iOS vulnerabilities and sandboxing breaches are completely irrelevant to this point.

There is no additional security software for the iPad that will protect you. The only thing that will help users avoid malware on iOS is the knowledge to avoid installing apps from outside the App Store, not installing some app that is supposed to "protect" them.

I would expect a "cyber-security specialist" to know this already.

Aggressive? Sorry, but who is shouting at whom?

You make a valid point about ‘traditional’ AV not being possible as an AV ap can’t scan the entire device in a normal way, but then go on to discount any benefit security add-ons can provide.

Maybe you should take a look at The 5 Best Antivirus for iOSwhich makes the point; The same operating system security that makes it hard to create malware for the iOS platform makes it equally hard to produce a fully-fledged antivirus product.

As such, many of the “antivirus” products for iOS are more like generic “security” apps, which don’t really work in the same way as a traditional antivirus package (by monitoring the underlying filesystem).

This causes some confusion amongst iOS users who expect an antivirus app to scan in the same way the PC equivalent would. This usually leads to lots of undeserved negative app store reviews, caused by a lack of understanding as to exactly how iOS works, and how much Apple lock it down.

iOS security apps are not devoid of value...

First, I am not shouting, I am using font styling to make a particularly important point stand out.

Second, your link goes to a site that has a strong bias, in the form of payments made by anti-virus companies. To cite the fine print found at the bottom of the page you linked to:

BestAntivirus.com sometimes receives monetary compensation from antivirus providers listed

Thus, it is in the best interests of BestAntivirus.com for people to buy the anti-virus apps they recommend.

Finally, the text you have quoted does not help your case. For the most part, it supports my argument.

If you wish to make the case that it is important to use an anti-virus tool on iOS to avoid passing on Windows, Mac or Android malware that might be attached to an e-mail message or buried in a Dropbox folder, that would be a valid argument for some people. However, to suggest that iOS users need to install iOS anti-virus software to do a job that it actually cannot do is misleading and irresponsible.

One must wonder what your agenda is. To recommend products that cannot do what you say they are needed for, and to do so on a topic that has been inactive for 9 months, calls up many questions. Are you affiliated with one of the anti-virus products in the App Store, or with the BestAntivirus.com site?

Ah, so you've moved from shouting to personal attacks now!

My motive is to stop people having their data, identity and assets stolen. I work on counter cyber work professionally although I have nothing to do with AV or other software vendors. As to that particular link, most of the aps were free!

It concerns me when people put blind faith in a single supplier's claims about the invulnerability of their products. I suspect there may be a few people who have lost some 'more intimate photographs' recently after putting their faith in the same supplier who might be just slightly less convinced than you about their security claims. No one in their right mind is absolute about security and most will seek ‘defence in depth’ so that one measure will catch something missed by another.

But I tell you what, as you seem to want to turn some advice given to help others into a public slanging match, I presume to prove your greater technical prowess, how about this...

Hear yee, hear yee, hear yea. It is not necessary to use any additional security measures or products on your iOS device as Thomas has declared all such measures to be unnecessary and nothing but the wares of charlatans and cads. Be not separated for your hard-earned cash, not even for free products, because the great all-knowing one has given judgement.

Does that satisfy you Thomas? It makes me wonder on your motivation to ensure people do not use any additional measures…

On the other hand, to anyone who follows this great advice (just adding emphasis Thomas) and then is compromised when otherwise they wouldn’t, you might like to look-up Thomas and ask him to compensate you on the loss you have incurred by following the advice he is absolutely determined you will hear and should follow as any counter advice must be discredited and shouted down.

CyberSpecialist wrote:

It concerns me when people put blind faith in a single supplier's claims about the invulnerability of their products.

You continue to put words in other people's mouths. Where did I say iOS is invulnerable? On the contrary, I have said it is not. Education is the key to protection, not telling people to download iOS anti-virus software that is literally incapable of protecting iOS.

How about this... since you obviously think I'm wrong, tell me why I'm wrong. With fact, not hyperbole. Tell me how any piece of iOS anti-virus software will protect users against the Masque Attack you mentioned as one of the threats to iOS users.

No Thomas, I have said my piece that I think people should consider additional protection. You have said your piece and stated quite categorically that they should not. To quote you: “There is no additional security software for the iPad that will protect you.”

So given you are SO certain of your facts as to advise the entire planet that might at some point come to this page looking for advice, that there is nothing that can be added to iOS to make it any safer, there is little point me explaining anything to you as you are so certain you are correct as to elect to advise anyone that might bump into this board…because you know best. I’m sure everyone else on this board will be tiring of this exchange.

So I would prefer to let others make their own decision. They can see my view, and they can see yours, they can view some of the vulnerability lists, they can see what is being offered at the time they look and they can make up their own mind. I only seek to advise, not tell people.

If, however, you want to do a little reading, you might like to check out ‘social engineering’, drive-by attacks, JavaScript, Java and other browser extension vulnerabilities, phishing, speak phishing, pharming and other attack methods. Then you might understand that there is more to Internet security than just file system scanning. I suggest you stop now.

And you might like to read this to see that iOS is not immune from viruses...

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/30/hongkong-china-cybersecurity-apple-idU SL2N0RV2D320140930

I know this is a specialised case, but it makes the point. Be careful in be so absolute about iOS and Apple security. Everything is capable of breach

CyberSpecialist wrote:

there is little point me explaining anything to you as you are so certain you are correct

On the contrary, the point of you explaining is to enable the reader to make their own decision, as you say they should. Since you refuse to use factual arguments to refute what I have said, that leaves the reader with little reason to listen to your point of view.

If, however, you want to do a little reading, you might like to check out ‘social engineering’, drive-by attacks, JavaScript, Java and other browser extension vulnerabilities, phishing, speak phishing, pharming and other attack methods.

LOL, you may want to check out my website. See my profile. I am not unversed in such things.

Then you might understand that there is more to Internet security than just file system scanning.

I certainly do understand that. Which leaves me baffled as to why you're recommending a class of tools that do little other than file scanning, on a system that doesn't allow apps to do any real file scanning.

I think we've exhausted the possibilities of this discussion, unless you can come up with some new material.