location) to times when the app is in active use, and certain restrictions on background apps. the concept of scoped storage, the opportunity to limit the access to some resources (e.g. Additional functions, for device loss and safe browsing for Google Chrome, were integrated as regular components as well.Īndroid 10 brought some significant improvements for security and privacy which are refined in later versions, e.g. The built-in malware protection Play Protect is preinstalled on devices running Android 8.0 or later, and is also available on older Android devices that support Google Play Services 11 or later. Since Android 8.0 (Oreo), the global security setting Install from unknown sources has been a run-time permission that needs to be granted for each app once. This approach is very different from the one adopted by earlier Android versions, where apps asked the user to grant all the necessary permissions prior to installation. With the introduction of run-time permissions in Android 6.0 (Marshmallow), Google gave users more control over the information and private data their apps have access to. For a product’s anti-theft component, we comment on each function briefly and use the following symbols in the table to indicate how well it worked in our tests. In the main section of this report, we present the participating security products, along with the results of the malware protection tests, the battery drain test, and the detailed reviews of the individual products. After that, we talk about the current risks facing smartphone users, and give recommendations for achieving better protection, and a short summary of common security features of Android security apps. We note that not all of Google’s security features are available to all users, as there are limitations with some Android versions, Android-based operating systems, and geographical locations. In the following pages, we discuss features and restrictions regarding privacy and security in Google Android. mobile data, battery consumption, storage space) of individual apps. dangerous/special permissions, notifications) and usage (e.g. In the latest Android versions, Google has also implemented various app auditing features where users can review and adjust settings for privacy (e.g. Anti-theft functions (lock, locate, alarm, and wipe) are provided via Google’s Find My Device feature, allowing the user to find a lost or stolen phone, and to prevent access to any personal data stored on the device. The Safe Browsing API protects against malware and phishing links while surfing the Internet using the Google Chrome browser. Recent Android versions already incorporate basic security features: Google’s built-in malware scanner Play Protect scans apps during installation from Google Play or a third-party source, and regularly checks the device for any threats. The main purpose of a mobile security product is to protect users and their devices from potential harm inflicted by malicious apps, fraudulent mails, phishing URLs, and other harmful links. Most stalkerware can thus be installed only through side-loading. parental control), Google Play has been introducing stricter policies to fight this phenomenon in recent years. Although there is no clear-cut difference between stalkerware and legitimate software (e.g. This type of software does its best to remain undetected, and allows an unauthorized party to spy on the device owner’s activities without his or her knowledge or consent. In 2021, we also evaluated how well some security apps protect against stalkerware on Android.
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