Skip to content

Mobile agent frequently asked questions

What is a mobile agent?

An agent is a program that works on behalf of ActZero to perform continuous, autonomous actions to monitor activity on an endpoint. Some examples of endpoints are desktop computers, mobile devices, tablets, and servers.

What does a mobile agent do?

An agent delivers real-time mobile threat prevention. It uses system-level parameters to learn normal behavior for a device. Once a "normal" is established, it monitors the device for slight deviations or anomalies, which can signal an attack or malware infection. When the agent detects suspicious behaviour, it provides clear guidance on what the threat is and how to remediate it. It also enumerates device vulnerabilities (e.g., if it’s jailbroken, rooted, or otherwise compromised).

What agent does ActZero use?

ActZero leverages the Zimperium Mobile Threat Defense (MTD) mobile agent to provide mobile security for your mobile device users, enabling you to support and secure BYO and corporate-owned devices without sacrificing an user’s privacy or personal data.

What are the minimum system requirements for the MTD mobile agent?

For iOS Devices:

  • iOS 11.0 or later.
  • The device must have at least 120 MB of free storage space.
  • The device must have an active network connection, either through Wi-Fi or cellular data, during activation.
  • The device must have the ability to receive push notifications.

For Android devices and Chromebooks:

  • Android 6 or later.
  • The device must have at least 120 MB of free storage space.
  • The device must have an active network connection, either through Wi-Fi or cellular data, during activation.
  • The device must have the Google Play Store app installed and up to date.
  • The device must have Google Play Services installed and up to date.

How can I tell if a user has installed the app?

View the “Agent Installed” column in the Mobile onboarding page: * a red “x” indicates that the user has not installed the app * a green check mark indicates that the user has installed the app.

Agent

Why is the agent requesting (x) permission?

For a complete breakdown of the run-time permissions, please refer to the "Runtime Permissions Matrix" in our Privacy Guide.

How does the agent impact device performance?

Detections are behaviour-based, which allows all scans to be performed on-device; there are no cloud lookups, file signatures, or backend connectivity requirements. The agent is lightweight, and uses a negligible amount of bandwidth and battery power per day.

What personal information does the agent collect?

The agent is designed to be GDPR compliant. For a detailed description of the information ActZero accesses, stores, and collects, please refer to our Privacy Guide.

The agent says it found an issue - what do I do?

Remediate threats by following the on-screen instructions.

Depending on the severity of the threat, the agent will perform an on-device response, e.g. in the event of a network-based attack it will disconnect your WiFi network.

If remediation does not occur, a ticket will be generated and sent to our SOC team for further investigation.

The agent flagged a valid application as malicious - what should I do?

Email our SOC team. The team will review the flag and determine if your app is safe to allow-list.

What does the VPN do?

The VPN helps protect from phishing and network-based attacks by creating a secure communication channel between a device and the agent. Except when a phishing link warrants further inspection, the VPN does not direct or redirect traffic from your device.

Why does the agent require a VPN installation?

In addition to protecting privacy, the VPN enables the agent to deliver phishing protection by encrypting communications between itself and a device, preventing eavesdropping and other forms of tampering.

Will there be a conflict if there is another active VPN connection?

The agent requires an Always-On VPN connection, and is not compatible with any other VPN service.

What actions can I perform in bulk?

  • You can resend invite emails and delete users. Click the checkbox next to each user you want to affect.

The user I added didn't receive / can't find the activation email - what can I do?

  • Click the email icon to the right of the user's name to re-send the invite email.

Where can I view/download the Zimperium Mobile Threat Defense (MTD) app?

  • On the onboarding page, you'll find links to both the iOS and Android versions of the app. Agent

My question is not covered here.

For technical issues and anything else not covered by this FAQ please get in touch with support.

For security questions and concerns please get in touch with the SOC.



Was this documentation helpful? Please send us your feedback!