Android P security improves authentication trust and data privacy

Android P security features, which were previewed at Google I/O, include notable improvements for data privacy and encryption and preventing malicious apps from spying on users. Mountain View, Calif. -- The newest Android P security enhancements make it clear that Google has been watching the news and has seen the various ways its mobile operating system has been compromised over the past year. In addition to the near constant reports of Android malware (regardless of how likely it is any of such malware makes it to users), the past year has brought spying tools that use a device's microphone and camera and a continued effort by the FBI and law enforcement to crack device encryption. Android P security includes mitigations for these issues with trusted identity verification as well as other features. Dave Kleidermacher, product security lead for Android, Google Play and Chrome OS, and Xiaowen Xin, product manager for security features in Android at Google, detailed the Android P security improvements at the company's I/O developer conference Thursday. Kleidermacher said there are "three pillars" to the Android Security Strategy -- Google Play Protect, platform engineering and the security development lifecycle (SDLC). Part of the SDLC is to push OEMs to release security patches more quickly, including adding security patch clauses to the Android OEM agreement. The efforts of Google Play Protect to reduce potentially harmful apps (PHAs) both in the Play Store and those installed from third-party sources has been a success, Kleidermacher said. "The odds of loading a PHA from Google Play is the same as getting struck by lightning."

Spotlight

Other News
Data Security

GuidePoint Security Announces Portfolio of Data Security Governance Services

GuidePoint Security | January 30, 2024

GuidePoint Security, a cybersecurity solutions leader enabling organizations to make smarter decisions and minimize risk, today announced the availability of its Data Security Governance services, which are designed to help customers address the challenges of unstructured data and data sprawl through a proven process and program to meet their unique needs. GuidePoint’s Data Security Governance services consist of policies, standards, and processes leveraging the newest technologies to meet organizations’ data governance goals in both on-prem and cloud environments. Once the right strategy is determined with the customer, GuidePoint Security consultants will review program requirements, assess current policies and controls, perform gap analysis, design and develop/enhance the program, recommend and implement supporting technologies, and create operational processes and metrics. “Whether an organization is just beginning to build their data security governance program or needs help assessing and improving an existing program, our team and service capabilities are built to meet them at their current maturity level,” said Scott Griswold, Practice Director - Security Governance Services, GuidePoint Security. “We work side by side with the customer to conduct the necessary data discovery in their environment and provide tailored recommendations for solutions and processes to ultimately build/improve upon the data security governance program.” GuidePoint’s Data Security Governance Services include: Sensitive Data Cataloging: For organizations just getting started in the process of protecting their sensitive data, GuidePoint offers Data Identification workshops to identify sensitive data types in the environment, including trade secrets, intellectual property, and sensitive business communications. Data Security Governance Program Assessment: For organizations with existing Data Security Governance or Data Protection programs, GuidePoint Security experts will assess the program to identify policy non-compliance, gaps in data protection requirements—whether legal, regulatory, contractual, or business—and program maturity levels. Data Security Governance Program Strategy Development: The GuidePoint team will work with an organization's key stakeholders to design a program strategy aligned with relevant requirements. The outputs of this effort include delivering ongoing sensitive data discovery, automated classification and labeling, the application of required sensitive data protections, restrictions on where sensitive data can be stored and sent, and data retention policy enforcement. Merger and Acquisition Data Identification: This offering provides the ability to identify sensitive data within an M&A target or recent acquisition (including locations, amounts, and access rights) and then perform penetration testing on the storage repositories where that sensitive data exists to determine the risk of data compromise. About GuidePoint Security GuidePoint Security provides trusted cybersecurity expertise, solutions and services that help organizations make better decisions that minimize risk. Our experts act as your trusted advisor to understand your business and challenges, helping you through an evaluation of your cybersecurity posture and ecosystem to expose risks, optimize resources and implement best-fit solutions. GuidePoint’s unmatched expertise has enabled a third of Fortune 500 companies and more than half of the U.S. government cabinet-level agencies to improve their security posture and reduce risk. Learn more at www.guidepointsecurity.com.

Read More