Google automating App validation

[TomVanDoo]

One of the key objections of many enterprises to Android is the "Malware argument". There were some apps on the market which had malware hidden inside them and it drives security departments up the wall.

Some time ago, Symantec claimed the biggest malware attack through the Android system ever. If you look at the involved apps, you notice that they all include games or nudity. Quite typical for the average malware creator. Not the apps you would an enterprise professional expect to download on their phones. If they do, you have my permission to slap some brains into them. That's just plain asking for it.

Only a week later, Symantec already retracted their claims about the malware, and stated that it was in fact just an overly-aggressive adware.

So much for the drama.

Meanwhile, apparently, Google has introduced an automatic scanning of all submitted Android apps to search for malware. As the official google blog explains, they simulate every single app in their cloud infrastructure, to analyse it's behaviour and detect malware.

This is yet another step they are taking in convincing enterprises that Android is ready to pick up the glove and make it's way into the enterprise.

Next to that, every app need a set of permissions. Permissions which can be easily granted on enterprise level via the Android Policy tool. Here you can allow or disallow permissions for all registered Android devices.

As a final blow to malware, google remotely removes all apps that have been branded as malware. Your security department is not alone in it's battle against unwanted intruders. They are backed-up by the internet giant, which should provide some ease of mind.