Google’s new app scanner in Android 4.2 Jelly Bean moves the platform closer to Apple’s model of vetting software before it is made available to mobile device users, a security expert says.
Google isn’t expected to copy Apple’s model of controlling the distribution of all iPhone and iPad apps through a single app marketplace. However, the latest security feature acknowledges that most mobile device users want a trusted third party to determine whether an app has malicious code, or has hidden behaviors that are a privacy risk, said Gartner analyst John Pescatore.
“What Google has done here is getting a little bit closer to Apple’s model, which makes sense. It’s what users want,” Pescatore said Tuesday. “Users want more protection.”
The new security system, built into the Android platform, gives users the option of letting Google scan an app downloaded from markets other than Google Play. The service, which can be turned off at anytime, takes a snapshot of the app and compares it against a database of known applications, warning the user if the download contains anything suspicious. (Read More)