Specifically built for Android as an easy-to-use antivirus and anti-theft product, Symantec today announced the roll out of Norton Mobile Security Lite for free.  Norton Mobile Security 2.0 is also made available for beta.

Protection-wise, Norton Mobile Security Lite offers the same antivirus as the non-lite edition including scanning all files and updates downloaded by the phone, as well as automatically removing malicious content. The antivirus tool refrains from updating while the user is roaming in order to avoid incurring additional data charges. It also has built-in LiveUpdate to ensure that malware definitions are always fresh.

Another cool feature of this product is its ability to lock the phone in case of loss and theft to prevent data from getting stolen. This is part of the free edition.  As for the full-edition, it offers the ability to wipe or locate the phone remotely, as well as password-protecting the phone before allowing the SIM to be replaced. Norton Mobile Security also offers phishing protection to warn user when it stumbles upon a fraudulent site. All in all, the full edition is an amalgamation of Kaspersky Tablet Security’s anti-virus feature, and the ability of Webroot Mobile Security and Trend Micro Mobile Security to warn users of fraudulent sites and blocking malicious sites respectively.

Moreover, the full edition enables users to block unwanted calls and text messages. Scroll through the call and SMS log and choose the number you wish to block.  You can grab a copy of Norton Mobile Security Lite in the Android Market.

Recognizing the rise of smartphones as a widely accepted device now being imported into corporate environments as well, Sprint is offering two McAfee security apps for select Android smartphones and tablets. AT&T is doing the same thing, taking on a partnership with Juniper Mobile to offer a new security platform and a number of additional services to protect its mobile users. The product will be rolled out later this year.

However, while there has been massive effort to improve smartphone security, Andrew Hoog, chief investigative officer at viaForensics, a security vendor, believes that the best way to protect business information is to never let it get on smartphones at all.  “Mobile security is still evolving, and smartphones are vulnerable to hackers and to social engineering schemes,” Hoog said at a cybersecurity summit in Washington, D.C., hosted by the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA). “Cybercriminals are starting to target smart phones,” he added.