Android Security Becomes FUD Fest

With great power comes great responsibility, for the security community. The current noise and hype level around Android security has become so loud that I wonder if many people are simply tuning it out. As InformationWeek's Eric Zeman points out, Juniper, Symantec, and Kaspersky Labs have all been making dire warnings about increased threats to Android devices from malware.

You've probably seen the same string of headlines I have, like "Android's a malware magnet, says McAfee" and "2011 Is The Year Of Mobile Malware." Maybe you've seen the big scary numbers, too, like Juniper's claim that the ranks of mobile malware have risen 472% since July.

Zeman, no newcomer to mobile, notes that vendors have ratcheted up the scare factor pretty quickly-- given that a phone-to-phone threat that has yet to surface in a widespread way. Check out his take on where the truth lies between the vendor warnings and the critics' opinions on Android security.

Of course, as one reader commented on Zeman's story, mobile security also depends largely on user behavior: "If you don't want apps to have access to your personal data, then don't install apps that say they are going to access your personal data. It really is that simple. No app will ever have access to your personal data unless you have explicitly given it permission to access that data," writes DLYNCH294.

The hype around mobile device management hasn't been much better this year, says our MDM expert, Mike Davis, in his well-balanced column on Top 5 MDM Must-Do's.

As Davis notes about a recent conference talk: "I will most likely get hate email for saying this, but ... MDM technology is all pretty much the same; maybe 10% of features are unique, usually around self-registration capabilities and enhanced encryption. And I don't see that changing, even though Google and IBM got in the game this week, each announcing it will have an MDM product available soon."

If the vendor offerings prove that similar, Davis says, that means your recipe for staying safe in the enterprise boils down to three factors: planning, process, and policy enforcement. Check out his advice.

See our InformationWeek 2011 Mobile Device Management and Security Survey for more on how your peers are dealing with MDM. (It's free with registration.)

Amazon's Android-based Kindle Fire tablet poses a special problem, because your trusty enterprise mobile device management tools don't work with the Fire yet. The safest choice now: Block the device from connecting to your enterprise network, though users won't like it.

Looking ahead, Amazon also plans an Android Kindle phone in 2012--though InformationWeek's Thomas Claburn fears it could flop if Amazon makes a me-too design choice. "Amazon wants to sell you a phone so you'll buy Amazon App Store apps and Kindle e-books, which will almost certainly be readable on this expected Kindle phone (too bad the name Phondle won't fly)," writes Claburn.

Phondle. Don't you love it? That would not be a me-too name.

One thing's certain. Enterprise IT will not be fond of the Phondle if Amazon doesn't see its way clear to letting users connect to an app store that will allow install of enterprise-grade MDM tools.

Laurianne McLaughlin is editor-in-chief for InformationWeek.com. Follow her on Twitter at @lmclaughlin.