Does an Apple iPhone Need Antivirus Protection?

If there’s one prevalent topic in the tech headlines, it’s viruses, malware, cyber security and how no one – be it the public, small businesses or tech industry titans – are safe from cybercrime. But beyond super computer servers, desktops, laptops and tablets, what about those devices we carry around in our pockets?

You’d be hard-pushed to bump into anyone who doesn’t own a smartphone, such as the hugely popular iPhone, these days. So how about this twenty-first century phenomenon? Does the massively influential iPhone, which runs Apple’s iOS operating system, really require the armour of an antivirus app?

While it’s true you’re less likely to get infected by viruses on a leading smartphone brand – iOS or Android-based – the threat of falling prey to cyber criminals remains very real. The unfortunate reality is that no internet-connected device can ever be truly immune to hackers, malware developers or other no-gooders.

But isn’t Apple’s flagship iPhone series renowned for both performance and security? Sure, no one could reasonably argue that Apple’s iOS didn’t set the bar sky high for today’s ever-evolving, cutthroat smartphone market. But no matter how well Apple designs its software, no matter how many updates and fixes it releases, the internet is still ‘the internet’.

In other words, it remains plenty unregulated, with dark corners, pitfalls and dodgy stuff – sharp teeth that have bitten and will continue to. More specifically, the internet is that daily-accessed, seemingly innocuous looking environment with dubious websites, files, web trackers and ads – always a mere tap away.

With an iPhone antivirus fighting in your corner, however, security can only be heightened. And who wouldn’t want that? A trusted, intuitive service can offer many areas of protection, such as warding off public WiFi snoopers, shielding against web-based threats, running real-time scans, and even identity theft protection.

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