This morning Google announced that they`ve added a new layer of security to the Android market codenamed Bouncer. Bouncer scans all incoming applications for potentially malicious software code, but avoids the need for developers to submit applications for approval. The service is run on all incoming applications and scans them for known malware, spyware and trojans, it also compares against apps that have been previously flagged for any misbehaving code. Google has also announced that they are monitoring new developer accounts to help prevent malicious and repeat-offending developers from coming back.
Google advised that the service has been running for a while now and they have seen ‘between the first and second halves of 2011, a 40% decrease in the number of potentially-malicious downloads from Android Market’, which is contrary to claims that have seen companies who market anti-malware and security software claiming an increase in malicious applications.
Google also adds that how they setup of Android, there is less chance of malware being disruptive to your experience with Sandboxing of applications to keep them away from data on other parts of your phone, they also have Permissions which are shown to you everytime you install an application and finally they have the ability to remotely remove applications once flagged as malware.
This is a step in the right direction for Google, it maintains the streamlined application submission process whilst adding a layer of security, it`s great to see that they are aware of the criticisms regarding malware in the market and have been actively doing something about it.
“the service has been running for a while now and they have seen ‘between the first and second halves of 2011, a 40% decrease in the number of potentially-malicious downloads from Android Market’, which is contrary to claims that have seen companies who market anti-malware and security software claiming an increase in malicious applications.” Ah….No it isn’t. If the market had 100 apps total in July 2011 and 200 in December 2011, that’s an increase of 100%. If 20 of those apps were “potentially malicious” (whatever that means) and Bouncer rejected 40% of them, then 8 were stopped. So the total… Read more »
“potentially malicious downloads.” Google’s stat is about number of times apps are downloaded, not raw number of apps. Suppose there are more malicious apps in the market. Google is saying that the total number of malicious downloads is less, which could only mean they are being removed faster, thanks to Bouncer.
I don’t disagree with that and I think Bouncer is a great initiative. All I’m saying is that the anti-malware vendors’ claims that there is an increase in malicious applications and Google saying that Bouncer is doing its job are not contradictory statements.
This is great news.
It did occur to me a few months ago as too why google didnt at least scan every app for a viruses and malware.
In my simple mind i imagined some people in a room scanning them manually one by one but by the looks of it google has come up with a very automated and sophisticated system.