The public is divided as to its opinion on what Google is. Is it a benign tech giant, looking out for its customers' welfare? Is it this wolf in sheep's clothing -- a malignant Big Brother waiting for the right time to pounce on billions of users dependent on its data and services? Or is it just another indifferent moneymaking machine, only out to make a buck out of its excellence?
Some tech pundits are wary of Google as an information behemoth. As a Silicon Valley insider once commented, "Google knows too much; it has too much of our data. We really should be wary about it." While you could shrug the comment off, when you think about it, Google DOES know too much: your search history, your email, and if you use it to power your other accounts, it will know everything about those, too. And now with the Android maturing into a very lucrative, burgeoning field, and Google Plus Project exploding even before it officially launched, Google may well know too much about one user.
Instead of appeasing your paranoia, however, we'd like to stoke it even further -- by introducing the Android "Kill Switch."
Way back in 2010, the Android developers had already discussed the presence of such a function: a remote admin capability of Google by which they can remotely uninstall renegade apps on Android users' phones. They had initially developed it after an app that was built for research purposes was deployed improperly and had to be cleaned up. Recently, they exercised it over downright malicious software, a.k.a. malware, which came from an old program that was traded around and used by malicious companies to mine data from users' Android units.
Google exercised its totalitarian Android powers for the good, in order to keep its Android community a safe tech network, in spite of the onslaught of malicious developers.
Google seems to demonstrate the capacity to exercise restraint and good judgment in the use of potentially powerful, even totalitarian functionality. However, for how long?
Let's just hope they will uphold the interests of the everyday consumer before letting power as potentially all-encompassing as their "Kill Switch" take over and call the shots. As the wise men warned, "Absolute power corrupts absolutely."
Crossing our fingers.
It's slick, it's Unix, it's based on Linux, it's made by Google. It's the Android.
It's more than cool. It's top of the line. Bleeding Edge technology. Kicks royal Nokia Symbian Anna butt, that's for sure.
So when you use your Android, you flash it. You show the people around you exactly what they're missing.
And you happily add and approve new Android Apps every hour, on the hour. You're on an Android! It's VERY secure!
Think again.
Just last July, Google had to remove 26 apps from the Android Marketplace and suspended six developer accounts because the apps contained the "DroidDream Light" which is a data-mining software: it collects the Android user's personal data and uploads them to a remote server.
While there aren't any statistics of identity theft from Android users yet, there are cases of people being unwittingly signed onto premium services, thereby sapping their credits or increasing their mobile service bills. Thus, it seems that the malware is used more for consumer targeting rather than identity theft.
So what's a hapless Droid user ought to do, with this security vulnerabilities that the Android has? Tear his hair, toss the Android and switch back to a Blackberry or iPhone and wear a surly face?
Well, you can start running antivirus apps on your Android, that's one.
What?! Antivirus on my Android?!
Stuff the pride. You need the anti-virus. Malicious programmers, or to put it bluntly, hackers, know the potential of the growing Android consumer base, that is why they're targeting the platform. It is relatively easier to get a foot in the door at the moment, because the Android Market is a free-for-all for developers. Unlike the Apple Store's closed system, the Android Market allows too much freedom, too much ease for renegade apps to worm their way in, pun intended. Thus, to protect yourself as an Android user, better work on these practices:
1. Find and install a reliable Android Antivirus. Lookout is an up and coming company that's working hard to ensure Android users' safety. AVG is a trusted Windows antivirus. If you must try the others, go by the star rating below the apps.
2. Research and look for reviews for apps before you install them. This is a good way to check whether the app could be malware in disguise.
3. If the app prompts for access to premium services or anything that may cause your mobile provider to charge you for data transmitted, skip it and delete the app.
4. Be wary of PDF attachments that you didn't request. Both Android and the iOS have reported vulnerabilities with PDF attachments.
Watch out for your battery draining too fast compared to when you first bought it, or for unidentified or strange text messages from out of nowhere. The battery drain may be caused by the malware running batt-draining processes in the background, and the text messages are a clue that you may have signed up for a premium service unwittingly.
No platform is totally secure from malware attacks. Even Apple routinely issues patches for the iOS because of security loopholes. However, as we mentioned, the iOS and the Blackberry are closed-system, therefore quality control and malware checks are more tightly imposed.
Since the Android ecosystem is as wild and free as it is yet, better practice safe mobile computing.
You've been warned.
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