It seems all apps from Divested were archived in December, particularly the antivirus app Hypatia. When you try to update the signature database, you get a 404 error, so I guess the development of this app is dead. Does anyone know of any alternatives or similar apps? Or is it not really necessary to have an antivirus like this on Android?

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[–] toth_peter@lemmy.world 13 points 1 month ago

The app was just updated on F-Droid, but the repository was forked. They are looking for maintainers: https://github.com/MaintainTeam/Hypatia

[–] kekmacska@lemmy.zip 6 points 1 month ago

you generally don't need an AV on android, unless you do really shady downloads. only download from fdroid, google play, github, apkmirror, and maybe some mod apk websites, the more known ones

[–] Neptr@lemmy.blahaj.zone 5 points 1 month ago

Not really needed on Android or in general. If all you want to know is whether your system is compromised, use Auditor by GOS.

[–] autonomoususer@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

This only exists when apps ban us from modifying source code, ban fixing, anti-libre software.

[–] caos@feddit.org 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

If I understand correctly, Hypatia will continue with a new maintainer and is now in the Izzy repo

[–] haris@mander.xyz 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I am not sure. If you check the source they link in the Izzy repo it still says that they are looking for maintainers and there have been no commits in two weeks. So it is not quite there yet, but apparently they have solved the issue with the database not updating, and probably the app is usable by now.

It is great news that the Izzy repo is providing the app there.

[–] caos@feddit.org 2 points 1 month ago

Thank you, yes, I didn't read carefully enough. But there is hope for Hypatia!

[+] Emberleaf@lemmy.ml -7 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (2 children)

[deleted]

[–] sonalder@lemmy.ml 8 points 1 month ago

Mobile operating systems like Android are way more sandboxed than traditional desktop OS. Even though the situation has improved on desktop, especially on macOS and some GNU/Linux distros, sandboxing is more of an iOS/Android thing.

On Windows, most people are admin users, which is a role with admin privileges. You're not running these by default on macOS or GNU/Linux, and you're not allowed to on your mobile. Both Android and iOS require an exploit to root/jailbreak to get admin privileges.

This doesn't mean that macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS can't get any malware. But by default, a phone OS gives apps very little permissions. Of course, apps can ask for them and trick the user into giving them. Some permissions give higher privileges, and you don't want every app to have those.

So, no, what you want is education, not an app with privileges to verify everything is okay. I don't say antivirus are useless, but you have to realize what it means to offer another app all these privileges. Fortunately, Hypatia has pretty basic permissions, but that means it also makes it less efficient than modern antivirus, as it works more basically.

Simply reboot your phone often and don't install shady stuff. It won't prevent the NSO Group from selling a spyware with 4 0-days exploits to a Nation State to spy on your device, but Hypatia won't either.

[–] corsicanguppy@lemmy.ca 4 points 1 month ago

Heh. FUD?