Google has released a report overnight which addresses the state of Android security for 2014. The report goes through the different types of malware which have been detected and caught by the multi-layered approach Google takes to keep Android safe. Google uses encryption and application sandboxes, as well as manual and automated checks on applications to root out malware before it becomes an issue.
The full report is available to read through as a PDF, but if you don’t have time to trawl through the 44 page report, the salient points include :
While Google still checks applications installed from outside of Google Play, the best way to stay safe is to only install applications from Google Play. Apps from Google Play are subject to the newest safeguard put in place by Google to protect users, the manual review process for apps which Google recently announced.
The report is an interesting, though somewhat dry read, but worth a look if you have time.
Most security scares reported in the media include people turning on the untrusted apps setting, accepting the security warning and then installing whatever app they are presented with.
Also, Google’s malware scanner flags legitimate system modifying apps as malware.
example: Framaroot, downloaded from XDA.
Google claims that Framaroot is system harmful and that I should ‘uninstall this app immediately’.