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Android Security: 8 Signs Hackers Own Your Smartphone
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sjennison
sjennison,
 User Rank: Apprentice
12/9/2013 | 8:19:59 PM
Re: MISCONCEPTION
Agreed. In fact, custom ROMs are generally more secure, due to constant updates(nightly, weekly, or monthly, depending on the developer). That is assuming, of course, your ROM dev is fast on their updates.

In fact, the major "master key" exploit, which is one of the biggest security holes, was patched by Cyanogenmod long before the vast majority of manufacturers got around to fixing it.

http://www.ubergizmo.com/2013/07/cyanogenmod-10-1-2-fixes-android-master-key-exploit/

Also, generally rooting allows you to do things like fix the security holes in the system. Rooting installs a root control app (Superuser/SuperSu, etc) that restricts access to only apps the user allows. While the device can still be comprimised using privledge escalation vulnerabilities just like any other device, rooting will not make your device insecure. The very fact that a device can be rooted using exploits means it is inheirently insecure due to those same exploits. A malicious piece of software could exploit them just as easily. Rooting doesn't change that, unless you go deeper and actually fix the hole (assuming you can). Hence where custom ROMs come in - when a vulnerability is found, they release patches in less than a month. The only other OEM who comes close to that speed is Google. Nearly every other manufacturer takes months if not years to push an update through to end users.
krishel67801
krishel67801,
 User Rank: Apprentice
12/5/2013 | 2:47:00 PM
google aps
Google Play Store is malware in itself.  I have numerous aps that require play store services to be activated.  Play store then accesses your phone whenever it wants to.  Also play store will not allow aps that block advertising to be obtained thrrough them.  Another good reason for rooting your phone.  Take control away from google.
Aroper-VEC
Aroper-VEC,
 User Rank: Apprentice
12/2/2013 | 10:31:04 PM
Re: MISCONCEPTION
Jailbreaking and rooting are synonymous. This is because of the nature of the action. Technically speaking, you use root access to jailbreak a device running iOS. It is only called "rooting" in Android because they want to be different than anything having to do with Apple but, the sum result is the same. When jailbreaking an iOS device in order to unlock the device and load a "clean" or alternate version of the OS and to get rid of bloatware you are doing the same thing in Android. The term is irrelevant since the process and the result are the same.
Lorna Garey
Lorna Garey,
 User Rank: Ninja
12/2/2013 | 10:36:22 AM
Re: You Can't Fix Stupid
That's certainly true about stupid, and that some people download shady apps on a whim. However, legit apps ask for so many permissions now that I think the average user gets numb to it. I can see why a couponing app needs location data, but why does a game need to know if I'm at a mall?

App makers should stop with the "permissions bloat" -- that would be a big step toward helping people be more aware and selective. But given retailers' and vendors' hunger to collect more and more data, will that bloat reduction ever happen? Color me skeptical.
Mathew
Mathew,
 User Rank: Apprentice
12/2/2013 | 5:45:57 AM
Re: MISCONCEPTION
Thanks for the terminology catch, IamWayne (brain freeze on my part); yes jailbreaking an Android is usually known as rooting it.

In terms of rooting your phone making it more vulnerable to attack, I respectfully disagree. Rooting your phone means that more apps will be able to run with root-level privileges. This increases the chance that your device can be compromised, or that a compromise will have more severe repurcussions. 

The caveat, of course, is that if you know what you're doing, then your risks likely decrease. Likewise, it's great to nuke the bloatware installed by carriers. But the takeaway is that if you don't know what you're doing, then you're probably better off not rooting your phone.

In terms of the risks of rooting being a lie "perpetrated by those in the media," as indicated in my piece, this analysis comes via Marc Rogers, principal security researcher for mobile security firm Lookout. His analysis, by the way, is not an outlier.
shakeeb
shakeeb,
 User Rank: Apprentice
11/30/2013 | 12:36:39 PM
Re: You Can't Fix Stupid
Furthermore as an additional feature, appropriate protocols are used to protect sensitive data at the network level.
shakeeb
shakeeb,
 User Rank: Apprentice
11/30/2013 | 12:29:00 PM
Re: You Can't Fix Stupid
Great article. However as per the reading I have done, security features are built into the operating system itself to reduce the frequency and impact of security issues.
elysian
elysian,
 User Rank: Apprentice
11/30/2013 | 8:31:57 AM
You Don't Jailbreak Android: You ROOT It.
Jailbreak is for iOS.
J_Brandt
J_Brandt,
 User Rank: Apprentice
11/29/2013 | 3:12:51 PM
You Can't Fix Stupid
Some great tips.  Sadly many of the people I know who download apps on a whim, who don't bother to read the service agreements, would not have the gumption or ability to dig deep to find any patterns or issues.  To quote Ron White, "you can't fix stupid."  They might notice the battery drain :)
IamWayne
IamWayne,
 User Rank: Apprentice
11/29/2013 | 9:54:44 AM
MISCONCEPTION
Some of this is good information. However, the part about as you call it "jailbreaking", in Android it's called rooting. That does NOT make your phone vulnerable. That is a LIE that has been perpetrated by those in the media who do not have a clue. There are many advantages over rooting your Android phone as apposed to leave the malicious mobile carrier bloatware on it. Please research your articles and stop mis-leading the public with misconceptions.
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