It’s always fascinating to see what could be on the horizon and the team at 9to5Google do a good job with their APK insights. This time around they’ve taken a closer look at the Google Files app and found something new.
The APK insight has decompiled the app and found code strings that suggest a PIN-protected safe folder is in development.
<string name=”safe_folder_label”>Safe folder</string>
<string name=”safe_folder_first_time_tooltip”>Move any files you want to keep protected by a PIN to this folder.</string>
<string name=”safe_folder_after_setup_tooltip”>Find your protected files in this folder.</string>
The ability to move files to and from the protected folder requires your PIN, so as with any Password or PIN-based encryption, it’s really important to set a password you’ll remember. Much like other services, if you’re unfortunate enough to forget your PIN then your files may not be recoverable. The details are a little sparse, but the non-recoverable file encryption is specifically mentioned in further code found in their investigations.
<string name=”remember_your_password_warning_title”>Remember your password</string>
<string name=”remember_your_password_warning_description”>”Safe folder can’t be opened again if you forget the password.”</string>
<string name=”remember_your_password_warning_button”>Got it</string>
Over time, the shift for users is away from desktop and laptop machines to running lives on mobile devices. This only serves to increase the need for privacy and security and the response from Google is smart. It protects files from anyone who may have access to the device, further improving personal data security.
What do you believe is the biggest threat to the security of your personal data on a mobile?
