What if you can make your smartphone safer using just a single app? ????
It sounds far-fetched but I’m going to talk about an impressive app that helps you secure your device, and your browsing experience without interrupting your user experience.
And, that is — Sophos Intercept X for Mobile by Sophos Security Labs. Even though the app isn’t very popular, the team behind it is well-known in the cybersecurity space.
The app is available for both Android and iOS on Play Store and App Store respectively.
I’ve tested a variety of security apps (with paid subscriptions for premium features) like Lookout, Kaspersky, Avast, etc. Of course, every app is different and offers a variety of functions — but I believe that Sophos Intercept X for mobile does a lot of things right compared to others.
Before I move on to explain what the app does — let me address a common question that you probably have right now:
Do I need a security app for my smartphone? Should I pay for the best security? Is it enough to have a free security app?
If you’re having these questions in mind, let me clear that up for you. Also, I encourage you to go through the article thoroughly and I promise you, it will be worth it.
Do You Need A Security App For Smartphones?
For users who know what they’re doing, what they’re installing, and can decide what’s safe or not — you do not need any security app.
Of course, you can install Sophos Intercept X app for Android or iOS and have it as an additional layer of security, just like I have it installed.
But, if you’re someone who’s not always aware of new threats, don’t know enough about a website you visit or the apps you download, or you probably don’t have the time to research what’s safe or not — you need to have a security app installed.
Now, should you opt for a premium security app? Does premium mean better? ????
Not necessarily. Yes, you’ll find services like Lookout Security very useful for your smartphones. But, I tried some of these options (including Lookout with a paid subscription), I feel it’s not worth the subscription. At least, that’s what I think.
So, if that’s the case, are free alternatives better? No, they aren’t always — but Sophos Intercept X for Mobile is an exception and I’ll tell you why.
Recommended Read: Google Play Store Isn’t Safe: What Can You Do About It?
Sophos Intercept X for Mobile: Overview
Normally, on usual security apps on Android and iOS, the feature set looks like this:
- Scanning apps for safety
- Device security
- Anti-theft protection
- Web protection
Now, on Sophos Intercept X, you will find the following features:
- Device security
- Network security
- App security (password-protect your apps)
- Authenticator (alternative to Google Authenticator or Authy)
- Password Safe (store and manage your passwords safely)
- QR Code Scanner
- Privacy Advisor (review the permissions of each application)
Note: The features offered will be different for Android and iOS.
So, for its first impressions — it already provides a lot of things that other popular security apps don’t. Don’t you think that the features offered by Sophos Intercept X is more than enough for an average user?
Yes, you may not find the anti-theft feature here. But, you already have Find My Device on Android and Find my iPhone on iOS to that. So, you don’t really need to use a separate app to do the work.
In addition to the features offered, you will also find other Sophos Security apps for your mobile for corporate use and keep a check on the security of smartphones used by your employees at work.
Not just limited to the features, but some features work better than other paid security apps.
For instance, for web protection, usually popular applications create a VPN connection on Android and scan every website you visit to ensure that it’s safe to use. So, you cannot use a VPN anymore. You will have to disable the web protection feature of the antivirus/security app in order to use the VPN.
But, if you’re using Sophos Intercept X, that isn’t the case. You can easily utilize a VPN even with the Network Security feature enabled.
Here’s an example — when it detected a phishing site on Mozilla Firefox browser on Android ????
Yes, Sophos Intercept X requires more permission access to your device when compared to other applications — but that’s what makes it more usable.
Overall, this app secures your web browsing, keeps an eye on your device security, and offers other important functionalities like authenticator and password manager.
So, it’s like an all-in-one package.
With all of that in mind, I’ve been using it for more than 2 months now and I’ve also installed it on my dad’s device because he usually ends up installing something or visiting a web page that’s not safe.
So far the experience of using this app has been very good and effective. It’s a simple security app that’s easy to use while featuring a bunch of useful features for free.
Also Read: Here’s Why You Should Stop Using WhatsApp
Wrapping Up
Here, I’ve found Sophos Intercept X perfect for my use-case and hopefully you will find it useful as well.
What do you think about it? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
If you find the article useful, please share it along for more people to know about this amazing app!