iOS Crowned Insecure, Google Gets to Work, Budget Tablets Dangerous – Mobile Security Weekly

Google is happy to be the focus of attention this week with its release of Android for Work, which was first announced in July 2014. On the other hand, Apple isn’t exactly pleased with the fact OSX and iOS have been named the most vulnerability-ridden operating systems of 2014. Finally, a reminder that cheaper isn’t always better — many of the budget Android tablets aimed at kids are packed full of security hazards.

iOS tops 2014 Mobile Security Vulnerability list

iOS took the crown this week as the mobile operating system with the most vulnerabilities in 2014. Both Apple’s desktop and mobile operating systems have seen a rise in security vulnerabilities with many of them falling under high and medium severity categories. Another contender that affected the mobile community was the Linux kernel which has closely followed Apple in the top 3 as well.

Some of the most high profile security flaws such as the Heartbleed bug in OpenSSL and Shellshock, which affected Bash, all count against Linux. More details can be found in the full study, which was published by GFI.

Why is this Significant?

Although not exactly groundbreaking news, it does serve as a good reminder that while people may think that “Android is dangerous but iOS is safe” – this is evidently not at all true.

Google Releases Android for Work

Google has launched an enterprise-focused Android and Chrome for Work suite in a bid to combat fragmentation and security problems that have badly hurt Android’s business appeal.

The suite will add work profiles, an Android for Work app, Google Play for Work and an array of built-in productivity tools to Google’s mobile platform. “We’ve built on the default encryption, and enhanced SELinux security enforcement and multi-user support in Android 5.0 Lollipop,” says Google, “to create a dedicated work profile that isolates and protects work data.

The Android for Work app aims to deal with the fragmentation affecting Android. It creates a separate managed area where employees can access approved mail, calendar, contacts, documents and web browsing work apps.

https://www.google.com/work/android/

Why is this Significant?

This is a significant step forward for Google, and shows it’s on board with the fact that the days when companies handed out dedicated business devices are over. BYOD is today’s standard – employees expect to be able to access sensitive company data on them. And companies require a certain level of lockdown to keep their data safe and Android for Work, alongside quality security solutions, can help achieve that.

Android Tablets for Kids Are Full of Security Flaws

A new study finds several top-selling Android tablets made for children have serious security flaws that could expose users (whether kids or adults) to malware and identity theft. Unpatched software vulnerabilities and hidden backdoors are all prevalent, with some tablets also failing to encrypt personal data being transmitted wirelessly.

Some of the cheaper devices came with development builds of Android that were insecure by design. However, even the more expensive models had well-known Android security vulnerabilities. Furthermore, all but two used third-party app stores unauthorized by Google which, as we’ve mentioned multiple times in the past, is one of the most common ways of getting infected with malware.

http://www.tomsguide.com/us/kids-android-tablets-flaws,news-20497.html

Why is this Significant?

It’s fairly common for households to own multiple mobile devices, whether phones or tablets. With most people taking advantage of the capability to login and sync multiple accounts on various devices, it wouldn’t surprise us to find a work account logged in to a budget device aimed at kids.