A sneak peek at security features in the upcoming Android L release
Fix It

Google says the upcoming Android L release will be far more secure than its predecessors.
Despite the immense popularity of the Android mobile operating system, one significant damper on the euphoria is the lingering sense that Android devices lack security. Although virtually any business laptop today comes with convenient features for encrypting the hard disk, comparable features in Android smartphones are rare. Smartphone security in general, and security of Android phones in particular, is not good if you believe the media reports.
Kaspersky Lab had already discovered the 10-millionth Android malware app by the end of January 2014, despite the fact that Google Play lists hardly more than a million apps. Of the 350,000 unique mobile threats and more than 840 threat families, 98-99 percent now target Android.
The full gamut of Windows malware also exists in the Android universe: worms, adware, backdoors, monitors, risk tools, malicious remote admin tools, SMS flooders, and a full set of trojans: downloaders, droppers, fake AV, PSW, SMS, spyware, clickers, bankers, and ransom tools.
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.

News
-
Linux Kernel 6.17 is Available
Linus Torvalds has announced that the latest kernel has been released with plenty of core improvements and even more hardware support.
-
Kali Linux 2025.3 Released with New Hacking Tools
If you're a Kali Linux fan, you'll be glad to know that the third release of this famous pen-testing distribution is now available with updates for key components.
-
Zorin OS 18 Beta Available for Testing
The latest release from the team behind Zorin OS is ready for public testing, and it includes plenty of improvements to make it more powerful, user-friendly, and productive.
-
Fedora Linux 43 Beta Now Available for Testing
Fedora Linux 43 Beta ships with Gnome 49 and KDE Plasma 6.4 (and other goodies).
-
USB4 Maintainer Leaves Intel
Michael Jamet, one of the primary maintainers of USB4 and Thunderbolt drivers, has left Intel, leaving a gaping hole for the Linux community to deal with.
-
Budgie 10.9.3 Now Available
The latest version of this elegant and configurable Linux desktop aligns with changes in Gnome 49.
-
KDE Linux Alpha Available for Daring Users
It's official, KDE Linux has arrived, but it's not quite ready for prime time.
-
AMD Initiates Graphics Driver Updates for Linux Kernel 6.18
This new AMD update focuses on power management, display handling, and hardware support for Radeon GPUs.
-
AerynOS Alpha Release Available
With a choice of several desktop environments, AerynOS 2025.08 is almost ready to be your next operating system.
-
AUR Repository Still Under DDoS Attack
Arch User Repository continues to be under a DDoS attack that has been going on for more than two weeks.