Blue Coat Systems, a leader in Web security and WAN optimisation, has launched a protection browser for Android phones and tablets.

The new app K9 protects individuals and families from malicious threats - including phishing and malware - on mobile phones and tablets.

Available free of charge from the Google Play market, the app also provides real-time filtering of content that is not appropriate for young children, including pornography, hate/violence, illegal drugs and gambling.

With this app and the previously released K9 Web Protection Browser for Apple iOS app, Blue Coat is extending the same enterprise-class Web security that protects 85 per cent of the Fortune Global 500 to mobile devices that comprise 67 per cent of the smartphone market.

The adoption of mobile devices has skyrocketed over the last two years, giving users the ability to access the Internet from anywhere.  Unlike home computers, that typically have a variety of security protections in place, mobile devices typically lack even basic protections against Web-based threats or inappropriate content.

This lack of protection is particularly concerning given the risky behavior in which mobile users engage and quickly growing use of mobile Internet devices by young children.

According to the Blue Coat 2012 Web Security Report, for example, social networking is the second most popular activity on mobile devices and the fourth most popular entry point into malnets (malware networks), infrastructures embedded in the Internet that cybercriminals use to drive unsuspecting users to malware.

Without the protection of a Web security solution, mobile users face greater exposure to malware that could steal personal information or co-opt their phone into a botnet.

As with Blue Coat’s K9 Web Protection software for PC and Mac computers and the K9 Web Protection Browser for iOS, the K9 Web Protection Browser for Android is backed by the company’s WebPulse collaborative defense, which provides users with proactive, “negative day” protection that blocks malware attacks before they launch.

On a typical day, WebPulse blocks 3.3 million Web-based threats. Driven by Web requests from 75 million users worldwide, the WebPulse collaborative defense analyzes and categorizes new and evolving Web content in real time, giving parents the ability to immediately block new or previously undiscovered objectionable material. For example, on a typical day, WebPulse identifies over 110,000 pages of new or previously uncategorized pornography and adult content.

With this app, the K9 Web Protection Browser becomes the default browser, replacing other browsers that lack the content controls and Web security required to keep children and families safe online.

The app is also fully integrated with K9 SafeSearch to remove all malicious or inappropriate links in search engine results, phony advertising or social networking, and prevents navigation to sites known to be used for phishing or to download malicious software. Like K9 Web Protection for PC and Mac computers and the K9 Web Protection Browser for iOS, the new Android app is provided at no cost to families and individuals as a community service.

“Mobile devices are quickly becoming a primary platform for Web access by nearly all age groups. The adoption of these mobile devices has moved faster than the security required to protect the users of those devices, creating a considerable challenge for parents that want to provide a consistently safe Web experience for their children,” said Steve Daheb, chief marketing officer and senior vice president of corporate and business development, Blue Coat Systems.

“K9 Web Protection Browser for Android is the first solution to provide parents with protection they can rely on and also represents a significant step in our strategy to secure and manage Web access for any user in any location on any device.” – TradeArabia News Service