Security Risks for Android Devices

Android development has inundated the market with smart phones. This multitasking phones use android operating system to mitigate the security risks. They provide automated backups and scanning for viruses at regular interval to protect the devices. Before we try to understand the security functions, let us see what are the security risks that haunt the android devices? • Content loss: Most of the other smart phones like Blackberry and Apple iPhone can be managed through aWOL (a Wake-On-Lan). The content can be routed and stored on a desktop and retrieved whenever there is any content loss. aWol also helps to boot your PC from the smart phones. But this application is not compatible with android devices. Therefore, the only way to keep your phone data safe is through auto back up app like WaveSecure. Another way to safeguard your device is to register it with any ‘find me’ services to recover the phone and data. • Android devices have insecure locking facility: The android OS has very limited inbuilt security. If the device falls into a wrong hand, the swipe lock pattern will actually not be too useful. These locks can be very easily guessed by using smudges. Thus it is important that one makes the device full proof by using PINs or Passwords. An additional lock app like AppProtector or Norton Mobile can be used to protect the device if so required. Big enterprises can use Android 2.2 Device Admin Exchange ActiveSync to enforce password remotely. • Hardware data encryption is unavailable: Android devices don’t provide any data encryption so they become a major business risk. Android 3.0 has an API to enable data encryption but the present generation android devices do not have them. Therefore, the stored data can be protected by remote lock apps and requesting remote wipe. The other sensitive data can be protected by using self encrypted apps like Exchange Touchdown and Good for Enterprise. • Phishing: Android devices have faced many phishing activities which has actually cost the users a lot. The common way of phishing is through SMS texts. The phishing SMS lure the unsuspecting user to visit fraudulent links which are malicious. These links help the hackers to read the emails and other important data of the user. Recently, The World News Network came into news by hacking phones like this. Once the malicious link is installed, the hacker can use the fraud application to text premium rate numbers. This can cause huge bills for the user without his knowledge. This can be checked by installing SMSLinkGuard which is an SMS control application. Bigger enterprises can use MDM (Mobile Device Manager) that can mange and monitor the wireless expenses. • Surfing unsafe on android OS: the devices with android OS have surfing vulnerability. It was found that its browser is vulnerable and can be exploited easily. The android 2.2 also has a flaw that can give free SD card access to hackers. The Android development users can’t patch the bug or virus quickly as the OS updates are quite infrequent. Though these small security hackles are there with android devices yet the latest android developments are trying to overcome these. Android 3.0 is supposed to offer better security when launched. Till than we just have to be bit careful about android devices to enjoy its rich offerings!