Over the past few years or may we say decades, all Android mobile phones come with Systems on a Chip (SoC). Each of these devices’ many CPUs is in charge of a different function that keeps your Android phone running smoothly. Firmware, specialized software that instructs the component on how to operate, makes that happen. Each piece of software, however, also offers various ways for hackers to exploit the hardware in your phone. And this is the precise topic that Google covered in-depth in its most recent security article.
The Android security team is using their many years of expertise in “firmware hardening,” as they like to term it. This simply implies better security to stop strategic flaws, attacks, and remote hacking abuse. Is that still too much lexicon? In other words, Android devices will be safer. This means you will have to fear less about a malicious hacker stealing your mobile phone. This indicates that phones like the Galaxy S23 will likely become much safer in the near future.
Why firmware-level security for Android phones
The Android team have also put a lot of effort into redoing Android 13’s features and functions in Rust. This computer language was created with built-in protection against memory attacks. Rust will continue to be used with future Android versions because the business has noticed an effect and intends to do so moving forward. Having said that, you won’t really detect all of these protection upgrades. If they are done correctly, that is, and from what it appears, doing things correctly is basically the idea. But even so, this represents a significant advance in Android security, and we eagerly await its arrival.
Google takes security quite seriously
Google takes security very seriously and continuously works to improve the security of its Android operating system. Here are some of the security features that Google has implemented in Android firmware:
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- Google Play Protect: This is a built-in malware scanner that steadily scans apps in the Google Play Store. It also scans apps installed on your device. Google Play Protect uses machine learning algorithms to detect potentially harmful apps and remove them from your device.
- File-based encryption: Android uses file-based encryption to protect your data. With file-based encryption, each file on your device is encrypted alone, which makes it very hard for hackers to gain access to your data.
- Android security updates: Google regularly releases security updates to address issues and improve the overall security of Android. These updates are typically pushed out to devices automatically, so it’s important to keep your device up to date.
- Sandboxing: Android uses a sandboxing model that isolates apps from one another and from the underlying operating system. This prevents apps from accessing data and functions that they shouldn’t have access to.
- App permission system: Android uses a permission system that requires apps to ask for permission to access certain features or data on your device. This gives you more control over what apps can access on your device.
- Verified Boot: This is a feature that ensures that your device only boots up with an operating system that has been verified as genuine by Google. This prevents attackers from installing a modified version of Android on your device.
Others are
In addition, some other security features that Google has put in place in the Android firmware include
- Two-factor authentication: Google offers two-factor authentication (2FA) for Google accounts, which adds an extra layer of security beyond just a password. With 2FA, you need to provide a code in addition to your password to access your account.
- Play Protect certification: Google has a program called Play Protect certification that ensures that devices meet Google’s security standards. To receive Play Protect certification, a device must meet specific requirements related to security features and software updates.
- Google Play Console security features: For app developers, Google provides a range of security features through the Google Play Console. These features include app signing, which helps prevent unauthorized modifications to your app, and the ability to set up Google Play App Signing, which helps secure your app’s key.
- SafetyNet: Google’s SafetyNet API allows app developers to check if a device has been tampered with or is running a potentially harmful version of Android. This can help prevent attackers from exploiting vulnerabilities on a device.
- Google Play Protect for Chromebooks: Google has also brought Play Protect to Chromebooks, providing the same malware protection and app scanning for the Chrome OS platform.
Overall, we can safely say that Google has in place a wide range of security features in Android firmware. These features will help to help protect users’ devices and data. However, it’s important to keep in mind that security is a shared responsibility. This means that the users of these devices also have a role to play. Android phone users should also take steps to protect their devices. Some of the steps that users can take are to avoid getting apps from untrusted sources and avoid very weak passwords.