Best Antivirus for TV Boxes to Stream Like Nobody’s Watching

A TV box or more specifically an Android-based TV box is pretty much an entertainment wizard. Your very own prestidigitator gives you direct access to all the content you can gulp down and that is simply awesome.

You can use it by itself or pair it with the highly popular media center software to unblock an entirely new universe of multimedia possibilities.

Take it online or go through a dedicated device such as Roku or the wonderfully friendly Kodi boxes – whatever you fancy, there are endless opportunities and the world is your oyster.

It’s a bummer…

As always, good things don’t last forever or if they do, there has to be a catch somewhere, in the small fonts of the infamous Terms & Conditions or even between the lines.

Security and privacy seem to be on the line here and it turns out all that media indulgence comes at the expense of your personal data.

Is your Smart TV spying on you?

Microphones

Targeted ads

Cameras

ACR

From targeted ads to the overcollection of your details, ACR is the omnipresent big brother that makes privacy redundant. Speaking of which, you might want to block ads on your Smart TV, so don’t be shy to help yourself to this step-by-step guide.

To put it short, if it can go online, it can go down, which is what drives us to remain adamant advocates of security measures, including the usage of antivirus for TV boxes. Let’s take a closer look to see what is that all about, shall we?

Can an Android TV Box get a virus?

TV boxes running on Android present two major loopholes that act as genuine portals for both malware propagation and exploits: a web browser and an app store.

What we’re saying is that every single device with Internet connectivity capabilities is exposed, vulnerable, and susceptible to infections and hacking attacks.

Here are the most common scenarios:

• Streaming and gaming increase the risk of widespread virus infections across all your Android gadgets not just your TV box or even worse, across all the devices (IoT included) hosted under your home network.
• Torrenting and downloading content files from suspicious websites (An interesting case here is the Kodi box. Can I use a TV box without Internet? You can, but… (and bear with us here). Many voices claim that taking your TV box offline and running through a different device such as Kodi or Roku eliminates the risks altogether. Well, there are at least two sides to any story and the ugly face of this one is that Kodi boxes can be hacked through compromised subtitle text files.
• Crooked by default (Built-in features are not exempt from violations. From manipulated chips to compromised microphones that pry on your conversations and spying webcams, nothing is intangible).
• Removable media and peripherals such as USB flash drives compromised by man-in-the-middle attacks (They can contain installation packages replaced by ransomware).
• Google Play Store apps are also not immune to ill-intended tampering and they can just as well be injected with hidden malware or hide bloatware and PUPs.
• Jailbreaking or sideloading APKs (external apps or extensions that are not vetted as legitimate software and did not pass Google’s certification audit).

NOTE

The road to hell is always paved with good intentions…

Jailbreaking or rooting generates from users’ need to attain a certain degree of customization for their TV boxes and other Android-based gadgets.

The process essentially gives you full access to root system files, thus allowing you to tweak settings and install software outside the dedicated app store.

While the intent itself is not condemnable, there is a thin line between wanting to introduce a bit of diversity on the menu and opening the door to mayhem, once the Google Play software legitimacy filter comes off.

Whether you’re already sideloading APKs other than the manufacturer made available or you’re merely considering this prospect, we advise you to act with caution in order to avoid the potential backlashes that come with circumventing locked environment infringements.

How do you know if you have a virus on your TV box?

Smart TVs run on OSs that cannot decypher contaminated EXE files. But does that mean they cannot get viruses or that you do not need an antivirus for the Android TV Box?

Are Android boxes secure? They are, but they are not infallible and there are numerous ways in which you, as a TV box user, can fall victim to exploits or otherwise suffer from ill intentions.

It’s not always easy or straightforward to detect a virus comfortably nestled in your TV box. Even if your smart TV was hacked, how would you know?

As always, there are a few red flags that can give away a virus or malware attack. Here are the most common symptoms:

• Extreme drowsiness at the network level or abnormal slowness in your TV box’ reactivity
• Random, intrusive pop-ups, warnings, or adware that you cannot control (including screen messages accompanied by the Android robot icon for increased plausibility)
• Impossibility to upgrade the firmware or install updates once they become available
• Website and webpage redirections
• Unsolicited or unauthorized actions (volume adjustment, playing content, switching channels, and so on)
• Device lock-up (usually associated with ransomware attacks)
• Private or sensitive data theft or leaks

Tip

Can my Android box be hacked?

Out of all the symptoms mentioned above, data theft is potentially the most dangerous one since it often does not present any visible signs of intrusion.

Your Android TV Box can be dead silent while hackers pump out the information they need.

What would that be, you ask? Contrary to mainstream belief, your TV box stores a lot of confidential and high-profile data including account passwords for your streaming apps, financial or banking credentials registered upon activating a subscription, and even network access.

Deploying the best antivirus for Android TV boxes is slowly becoming a mandatory step if you wish to preserve your data intact and prevent its tampering or theft.

Is an antivirus necessary on Android TV boxes?

Android devices are as prone to virus infections and hacking techniques as any other device. Thus, installing an antivirus for TV boxes simply makes sense for better malware protection.

Here’s the million-dollar question: Can I install antivirus on my Android TV Box?

Every software security developer that counts includes specific apps and programs designed to work with Android-based systems. Whether you download it from the Google Play Store or transfer it from a USB stick, it’s simply a matter of preference.

Now, that does not mean that all solutions are equally effective. As always, our objective is to provide top-notch recommendations that have what it takes to make for the best antivirus for Android TV.

Here are some of the criteria that motivated our selection process:

• Multi-layered protection (this includes vermin as well as sophisticated fraud attempts such as ransomware, Man-in-the-Middle attacks, network-targeted exploits, and so on)
• Advanced anti-hacking tools to secure your device, your data, your privacy as well as your connection
• Affordability (why spend more when you can get the same or even better protection for a smaller fee?)
• Web protection (spoofed sites filtering, boosted defense for browsing, downloading content, streaming)
• Regular and automatic updates
• Advanced recovery and remediation modules

Which antivirus is best for Android TV boxes?

Users, beware! Not all antiviruses that boast cross-platform compatibility make a good match for your TV box. Don’t worry, we’ll explain everything.

Let’s take Android TV boxes as an example since they are so widely adopted. Now, we already mentioned that most major antivirus providers also have editions suitable for Android.

But here’s the catch! Even though they advertise their products as suitable for Android devices (which is a deliberately vague term implying a variety of gadgets), in reality, they only cater to smartphones and tablets running on Android.

The Android TV platform is a tweaked version of the Android OS specifically designed for set-top boxes, digital media players and so on that operators can customize with their specific launchers (including home screen and services).

Here’s where the plot thickens. There are AOSP-based TV boxes that basically run on the same OS version as mobile Android gadgets and there are boxes running on the forked Android version specifically intended for TV usage.

Both can technically connect to the Google Play Store, and run software from there. However, not all Google Play apps are compatible with Android TV boxes and antivirus apps make no exception.

Here are some awesome options for antivirus software for Android TV boxes that will not fail you.

ESET HOME Security Premium

• ESET HOME dashboard for centralized management across all devices
• Comprehensive security reports and security audits
• Anti-phishing and payment protection modules
• Network Inspector to scrutinize IoT vulnerabilities
• Highly customizable scanning options

• Anti-theft features are only available on mobile platforms and do not cover TV boxes.

Free trial

Digital threats are on the rise giving ESET the perfect opportunity to shine bright. This legendary antivirus thrives in challenging contexts and its Smart Security Premium edition is nothing less than the pinnacle.

This ultimate security bundle boasts unmatched cross-platform compatibility and successfully secures all major platforms with a focus on Android devices including Android TV (from v7.0 upwards).

With such an impressive array of features, it’s hard to settle for just a few to discuss in detail. However, we know that you’d probably be more interested in exploring its smart TV-focused security options.

After all, we’re after the best antivirus for Android TV boxes, right?

ESET Smart Security relies on multiple layers of defense built on the most advanced technologies in the industry. Its prowess reflects throughout its entire infrastructure, starting with the highly customizable scanning options it offers.

Effective real-time protection that automatically scans for online as well as offline threats is implicit, but you can do more with your ESET-powered antivirus for TV boxes.

You can run on-demand scans or even schedule scanning for a more convenient time. Whatever is your preferred weapon of choice here, you will receive detailed reports containing access logs, the number of scanned files, detected threats, and so on.

These security reports join useful Security Audits to shape a comprehensive overview of your device settings, overall apps’ access to information, and much more.

Speaking of apps, you can also implement additional authentification mechanisms to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive programs.

More sentinels come to the rescue including anti-phishing and payment protection, which is especially useful for apps included in the Google Play Store Finance category.

Ready for the grand finale? We’re talking about the pristine Network Inspector feature, of course.

This in-depth analyzer keeps a close eye on all the devices hosted under your home network including your TV box.

It automatically checks for vulnerabilities, plus it scrutinizes password strength and open ports to make sure your data and gadgets are simply beyond hackers’ grasp.

Bitdefender Smart Home

• High-performance hardware for streamlined connectivity
• VPN included for extra privacy
• Protects all IoT devices connected to your home network
• Phishing, fraud, and vulnerability detector
• Network intrusion and exploit prevention system

• Not quite easy to install.

Check price

Do you need antivirus on the Android TV box? You do if you run it online, for sure. Pretty much anything that can connect to the Internet can also get hacked.

Introducing the one and only Bitdefender Smart Home that delivers complete and easy-to-use protection for your network and all your devices. And we do mean every single one of the gadgets nestled under your home network, IoT included.

Of course, you can use it as standalone equipment to secure your WiFi network, but you can also make the most of the Bitdefender Smart Home and deploy an iron-cast environment at your router or gateway level.

This particular method offers you unprecedented security leverage since you will be able to also protect devices that do not come with native antivirus support.

And the best part is yet to come. This unique security ecosystem encapsulates an equally unique combo made of the Bitdefender Total Security antivirus and Bitdefender VPN for extra privacy to cover all your needs.

Advanced protection against viruses, malware, phishing, and other fraudulent techniques are guaranteed together with sensitive data protection and safe browsing.

But instant reaction capacities are just one side of the multi-faceted security incorporated by the Bitdefender Smart Home.

We particularly enjoyed its proactive defense that can anticipate and prevent vulnerability exploits, brute force attacks, network intrusions, and other anomalies with the utmost accuracy.

As you already know, Bitdefender is a resourceful and considerate manufacturer that cares deeply about users’ needs.

Worried that the Bitdefender Smart Home might not be the right solution for you at this point? You can also try an antivirus for Android TV box APK and see if your TV box can run it.

If so, even better, the product is entirely free and it does justice to the developer’s name and reputation. Feel free to check out more information about the Antivirus Free for Android straight from the source.

Avast Antivirus

• Block unauthorized connections to your network
• Unified overview with granular controls over your smart home
• Extensive protection for all your IoT devices
• Real-time threat detection and instant alerts

• Only works with compatible routers (Make sure you research your model first).

Check price

Is Avast antivirus good for Android TV boxes? You wanted to know and we’re here to help out.

It is. But more often than not, compatibility proves to be a somewhat volatile concept depending on the version of Android OS your TV box encompasses.

So, we figured you might want to try something completely different and we are thrilled to present you with an entirely new proposition.

Avast Antivirus is like a breath of fresh air and we guarantee it works with your Android TV box 100%.

This piece of equipment brings a completely new approach to security and it covers your connected life end to end while granting you full visibility of your smart home.

Similar to the Bitdefender Smart Home, you can connect Avast Antivirus to your router and protect your home and your entire network from both online and offline threats.

The set-up process takes no more than a couple of minutes and it provides a lifetime of rewards in return such as a centralized security overview of all your devices at home or on the go with easy-to-use protection controls.

Avast looks beyond our PCs and smartphones to detect vulnerabilities in every smart device and thus prevents potential exploits and security breaches that can have a tremendously negative and irreversible impact on our lives.

Smart TVs are particularly prone to exploits in regards to their ACR (automatic content recognition) capabilities and they can be easily used to spy on you, Avast study reals.

Avast Antivirus will instantly block intruders, indicate the gadgets currently using your network, and block any unrecognized device by immediately shutting down your home network.

This best free antivirus for Android TV boxes will secure your Smart TV and all the IoT devices hosted under your network.

We hope you enjoyed exploring these apps just as much as we did testing them. Still in doubt?

Say no more! If the perfect antivirus for a TV box has not popped out yet, you might want to take a look at these excellent IoT antivirus and anti-malware software options. Who knows, your match can be no further than a click away.