Android 4.2 Kind of Gets Malware Scanner Included
One of the main flaws of Android is that it’s seen as a totally open and vulnerable platform, but that may change once Google decides to tackle malware. Apparently, in some way they already did, with Android 4.2. Apparently, the new flavour of Jelly Bean includes malware detection.
Hiroshi Lockheimer, Android VP of engineering spoke with Computerworld recently and claimed that inside the new version of Android there’s a feature that compares everything you install on your phone or tablet with a database of known threats. That’s basically the malware scanning that Google is performing on apps that are available in the Play Store, only this one also applies to sideloaded apps. Of course, this opens up the possibility that the sensitive information about what you installed on your device could be revealed.
However, Google has promised to stay away from our personal and sensitive data, so we have to trust them. There’s always the option of disagreeing when it comes to Google checking out your apps. Aside from that aspect, there’s also a new and improved app permissions screen, that’s shown below, with much more detail than before. Android 4.2 automatically blocks apps from sending premium text messages in the background, saving you a lot of cash.
