Sunday, October 30, 2011

Android Fragmentation Visualized

securityparty:

I’ve never used Android, so I don’t really have an opinion on its quality or utility. In general I am a fan of it, because I think the world needs a fiddly, “open” operating system for smart phones that allows for unhindered and wild exploration and endless tinkering. I am an iPhone user, though, because I want my phone to be a solid, reliable and supported device and I am a big fan of the app store and its vetting model in terms of added, effortless security and quality on behalf of the user.

But where I feel like Android really hurts “the world” is in its fragmentation problem. This visualization linked in the title of this post really lets you see the problem clearly. Android phones do not receive proper software patching and updates from the vendors. Therefore, you’re looking at huge, unfixable security problems for the average user. Sure, people may come up with open source patches and updates, but will the average person find and install them? And AV/ anti-malware solutions may exist, but a viable market for vendors in this field would require at least a somewhat stable operating system environment to target. 

Security is often compromised as a result of too much complexity. And this is a case of a complex environment coupled with very little end user education and understanding. In short: a perfect storm for vulnerabilities and malware.

Agree. It’s a tough problem. We are taking a crack at it, but I’m not convinced Google understands what they’ve created.

Posted at 9:24pm 1 note Reblogged via securityparty