Google said its devices are as hard to hack as the iPhone

Mar 15, 2018 15:43 GMT  ·  By

Google's Android security chief David Kleidermacher told CNET today that the Linux-based Android mobile operating system the company develops for a wide range of devices is now as secure as Apple's iOS.

Google recently published its "Android Security 2017 Year In Review" report where the company talks about how Android security has matured in the last few years and how it fights to find new ways to protect Android users from malware and all the other nasty stuff you obviously don't want to have on your mobile phone or tablet.

CNET’s Laura Hautala talked with David Kleidermacher, Google's head of security for Android, Google Play, and Chrome OS, revealed that the Android team is working hard to make the Linux-based mobile operating system as secure as the competition, which is Apple's iOS.

According to Kleidermacher, Google wants Android to be known for its security, and the search giant is working on addressing some of those major bugs that pop-up every once in a while and ruin the overall impression of Android as a smartphone or tablet operating system.

Google claims Android is as safe as the competition

The report claims that Google managed to improve Android's security over the past year by minimizing the number of Potentially Harmful Applications (PHAs) on Android-powered devices and in Google Play store, reducing vulnerability exploitation through faster security updates, and improving security visibility and control.

"In 2017, these protections evolved to form Google Play Protect, which provides a visible home for Google’s comprehensive security protections for Android. While Google Play Protect's core features have been part of Android for years, we added several features that better identify and address mobile threats in 2017," said Google in the report.

With this in mind, we want to believe Google is doing everything it can to improve the overall security of Android, but truth be told the mobile operating system is very defragmented at the moment, which means that not all Android users will be protected by Google Play Protect and other upcoming security methods.

If you want to use Android, chances are you need to buy a device made by Google, because they are supported for at least 2-3 years with software and security updates, so you can rest assured you're getting the best possible protection there is, but also keep in mind not to download strange apps before you know they're safe.