Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
NBC Universal says Android is out.
- Thread starter calaverasgrande
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Before W8 came out, we (I'm in IT) were asked to demo W7 & see if it would work with our network. We all gave up after a wk of trying to it to work with our certificates authentication system.
Android, BB & iOS (Easiest to hardest to setup & secure within our network) was the only smartphones we used & Android was the easiest to connect & secure in our network.
Why is transmitting data on airplane mode a security issue? You know it can still connect to wifi on airplane mode right?
Anyway, Apple's ecosystem has been very good at keeping security top notch. iOS and Mac OS get like no viruses which means no spyware to steal vital info on a corporate phone. Android phones are infamous for malware. Windows OS for PC is very vulnerable but idk about their phones.
I'm guessing you're referring to this
http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/technolog/free-android-apps-cost-users-security-privacy-1C6848002
Which ultimately is just a write up on research done by Juniper Networks (possibly a more credible source when it comes to privacy and security then NBC).
http://forums.juniper.net/t5/Securi...formation-There-s-An-App-for-That/ba-p/166058
Ultimately this doesn't surprise me... On an unmoderated market like Play, developers can do what ever they want. The question also becomes sure they ask for the access, if you grant it what will really happen. I'm sure most car racing apps don't start sending out spam SMS from your phone. Most of it is probably just developers being lazy. (hey I need to use this library, oh it requires this permission type of thing). The other thing is did they randomly choose the apps they looked at or did they look at the ones people actually download. I'm sure there's lots of bottom of the barrel apps that no one actually downloads sitting in Play that are very badbly written and probably ask for a bunch of permissions they don't actually need. Some of might also be malware in an app that doesn't serve an actual purpose so people don't actually download it.
Mind you, I agree with Juniper's conclusion. Developers should be more diligent in their permissions requests and probably give some reasoning otherwise it creates a situation where it becomes normal for apps to request a bunch of permissions that don't make sense and the user just has to live with it.
http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/technolog/free-android-apps-cost-users-security-privacy-1C6848002
Which ultimately is just a write up on research done by Juniper Networks (possibly a more credible source when it comes to privacy and security then NBC).
http://forums.juniper.net/t5/Securi...formation-There-s-An-App-for-That/ba-p/166058
Ultimately this doesn't surprise me... On an unmoderated market like Play, developers can do what ever they want. The question also becomes sure they ask for the access, if you grant it what will really happen. I'm sure most car racing apps don't start sending out spam SMS from your phone. Most of it is probably just developers being lazy. (hey I need to use this library, oh it requires this permission type of thing). The other thing is did they randomly choose the apps they looked at or did they look at the ones people actually download. I'm sure there's lots of bottom of the barrel apps that no one actually downloads sitting in Play that are very badbly written and probably ask for a bunch of permissions they don't actually need. Some of might also be malware in an app that doesn't serve an actual purpose so people don't actually download it.
Mind you, I agree with Juniper's conclusion. Developers should be more diligent in their permissions requests and probably give some reasoning otherwise it creates a situation where it becomes normal for apps to request a bunch of permissions that don't make sense and the user just has to live with it.
LOL. Apparently you don't read the tech news sections very often. Sorry, but no OS is completely secure.I mean, think about this for a second; How do you suppose a phone gets jailbroken? Vulnerabilities within the OS. Here are a bunch of stories regarding iOS and Mac OSX malware from just this year.
And Android phones aren't infamous for malware. Name one phone that is famous for malware? It has nothing to do with hardware.
The App Store has stricter guidelines for posting an app, than the Play Store does, nothing more. Google is more apt to let the user be a 'big boy' and decide if they want to download an app based upon the permissions that you must acknowledge before downloading. Is this riskier? No riskier than downloading a program on your PC. Have you never downloaded anything on a PC or Mac? Why do you believe this is okay, yet chastise Google or Android?
http://m.nbcnews.com/technology/technolog/half-million-macs-infected-apple-issues-second-anti-malware-patch-674423
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=apple%20malware&source=web&cd=8&cad=rja&ved=0CGIQFjAH&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.theregister.co.uk%2F2012%2F07%2F25%2Fmac_crisis_malware%2F&ei=VJjCUKaGC9HZigLe6oDgBQ&usg=AFQjCNFiR02gxjn0fB2_CuarSY85XOl7nA&sig2=do4RlBtjoSf4SGIMKM1jjg
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=apple%20malware&source=web&cd=10&cad=rja&ved=0CHQQFjAJ&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.computerworld.com%2Fs%2Farticle%2F9234298%2FNew_Dockster_malware_targets_Apple_computers&ei=VJjCUKaGC9HZigLe6oDgBQ&usg=AFQjCNE6giNYRVQooMs1MkFb_YMhsI_MSg&sig2=2XJUgSBiBF0HBjUuXN65tQ
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=apple%20malware&source=web&cd=12&cad=rja&ved=0CIYBEBYwCw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fbusiness%2Ftechnology%2Fla-fi-tn-apple-trojan-malware-20120705%2C0%2C4995703.story&ei=VJjCUKaGC9HZigLe6oDgBQ&usg=AFQjCNHWoS0urw823PUO-oeg5zcieoYDrg&sig2=HdXHC8NY0f_34z6OG8e77w
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=ios%20malware&source=web&cd=5&cad=rja&ved=0CEsQFjAE&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.redmondpie.com%2Fanother-malware-app-sneaks-into-ios-app-store%2F&ei=i5nCUKTzA6jmiwLjioGICA&usg=AFQjCNEGADMGZaT3yiZ-WbPH88L2jr352g&sig2=Vey0Sez7n4LadNfKUQvXgw
I don't know, I work for the Air Force. They consider anything transmitting and recieving data, capable of being hi-jacked and capable of receiving and transmitting audio.
Anyway Wi-Fi is turned off when Airplane mode is turned on, you have to re-enable Wi-Fi manually.
I know that they're different devices, but it's interesting the Air Force would find over 100 security issues with the iPhone, and then buy thousands of iPads for the Electronic Flight Bag Program.
If anyone hasn't seen the 10 minute video the Air Force project manager did about the project, it's pretty cool:
http://9to5mac.com/2012/09/27/u-s-a...windows-bureaucracy-and-deployed-ipads-video/
Out of the 4 platforms: Blackberry, iOS, Android, and Windows Mobile, Android is the less secure and Blackberry is the most secure.
With Android:
You can side load any application you want with a simple link. Any application can read all your contents on an external storage device such as a microSD card. Just downloading a simple wallpaper or widget can get you text spam.
With Android:
You can side load any application you want with a simple link. Any application can read all your contents on an external storage device such as a microSD card. Just downloading a simple wallpaper or widget can get you text spam.
I know that they're different devices, but it's interesting the Air Force would find over 100 security issues with the iPhone, and then buy thousands of iPads for the Electronic Flight Bag Program.
If anyone hasn't seen the 10 minute video the Air Force project manager did about the project, it's pretty cool:
http://9to5mac.com/2012/09/27/u-s-a...windows-bureaucracy-and-deployed-ipads-video/
That's the American Air Force, I'm in the British Air Force. However I know the British Army has bought iPad's to train their Helicopter pilots. However the Air Force here failed the iPhone for those security violations.
Seriously, when will you guys realize it is not the hardware that is the issue. It is the software that matters and whether or not the manufacturer will allow modifications to the code to meet specs (Apple always says no to this request.) The US military has to buy iDevices unmodified in either software or hardware. The encryption api's have to be bought or written, or a self contained secure network built to accommodate iDevices.
Android can be rewritten to meet any secure software needs. iOS can't. This is why Android is preferred. From a CNN report earlier this year;
When I said Android phones, I meant the Android as an operating system. As far as Apple vs Google in their app screenings, Apple's approach is consumer friendly in security, Google is friendly in choice. But how do viruses and spyware get onto devices? Consumers download something that they are misled into believing is something else. You can't blame consumers for downloading something that lies about its intents, it happens to the best of us. Also, New Android users or simply less tech savvy ones believe Google is a reputable company, they shouldn't have stuff in THEIR play store that could harm me and they download it straight away. Little do they know Google has no connection other than hosting that app and they claim no liability. So while google's methods have its advantages, it also has the huge security loophole.
Rofl. What a joke.
Yeah, NBC. I'm sure your absolute use of Apple products on your shows had nothing to do with it.
My old company had CNBC (as every other Financial institution) on everyday. I used to watch it while I worked. And since the beginning, CNBC has been using the iPad and other Apple products plain as day, on their shows. I always wondered why the iPad and Apple products were displayed so prominently on their shows. The analysts on their shows, sitting at their desks, with their iPad clearly visible.
It's not even obscure. It's clear as day. The broadcasters sitting at their desks, with their iPads clearly showing.
What jokes.
Yeah, NBC. I'm sure your absolute use of Apple products on your shows had nothing to do with it.
My old company had CNBC (as every other Financial institution) on everyday. I used to watch it while I worked. And since the beginning, CNBC has been using the iPad and other Apple products plain as day, on their shows. I always wondered why the iPad and Apple products were displayed so prominently on their shows. The analysts on their shows, sitting at their desks, with their iPad clearly visible.
It's not even obscure. It's clear as day. The broadcasters sitting at their desks, with their iPads clearly showing.
What jokes.
Common misconception when it comes to enterprise software on Android. IT can block all access and users can't install anything or run any app that's not approved.
iOS can, apple chooses not to let it be modified.
Our company allowed BB on corp email exchange and as company phones. Apple email was allowed as well. We just got VPN remote access with all idevices. Android natively still requires a third party app to connect to corp email. Even with the enterprise minded razr's, connection to corp exchange was not secure enough to allow connection. In my narrow mind this illustrates an issue with native security inside the OS of android compared to others. Security clearance is required where I work as well.
Our company is now issuing iPhone 5 as a corp phone. I see more of this practice soon up to and including laptop/desktop conversions for the same security reasons.
Where's a link to OP's article? I find it highly suspicious that a company can call an OS insecure when it's been out for less than a month.
How does IT block users from installing or running any app that's not approved?
I'm sure these phone have data plans where they can download and install apps.
Both iOS and Android support the use of MDM (mobile device management) systems like Mobile Iron, which can lock the devices down in ways that consumers can't.
Where I work, the company uses Iron Mobile. If a user has an application on their device that the company wants blacklisted, when the user goes to run it, it simply doesn't run. Mobile Iron doesn't stop the user from installing the app, though. It just prevents it from being run.
Furthermore, besides not letting the user run the app, it can also put the user's device in a "non-compliant" status, and set a timer. If the user doesn't remove the app before the timer runs out, MobileIron can remove the profile that's required for the device to connect to the company network.
I'm assuming Android is similar.