Google has unveiled an advanced protection mode for Android devices, designed to fortify vulnerable users’ digital lives against targeted threats and mercenary spyware. The new feature, part of the latest Android 16 update, imposes strong security settings and restricts interactions with unsecured web services.
Google has announced an advanced protection mode for phones running the newest version of Android, designed to impose strong security settings and reduce interactions with unsecured web services. This new feature is part of a suite of enhancements aimed at protecting vulnerable users’ digital lives.
Advanced protection refers to a comprehensive security system that safeguards individuals, organizations, and digital assets from various threats.
This includes physical security measures such as biometric authentication, surveillance systems, and access control.
It also encompasses cybersecurity protocols like firewalls, intrusion detection, and encryption.
Additionally, advanced protection often involves disaster recovery planning and business continuity strategies to ensure minimal downtime in case of a breach or natural disaster.
What is Advanced Protection?
Advanced Protection on Android focuses on adding additional layers of monitoring and security to vulnerable users’ Google accounts. It aims to provide an extra layer of protection against targeted threats, including mercenary spyware. The mode imposes restrictions that can’t be turned off, such as blocking phones from connecting to historic 2G data networks and disabling Chrome’s Javascript optimizer.
How Does Advanced Protection Work?
The monitoring and detection capability, known as Intrusion Logging, uses end-to-end encryption to store logs from your device in the cloud. This log storage allows for indelible logs that can’t be accessed by Google or any party aside from you, even if your device and Google account are compromised.
Key Features of Advanced Protection
- Intrusion Logging: A monitoring and detection capability that uses end-to-end encryption to store logs in the cloud.
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Android’s Memory Tagging Extension (MTE): A hardware security protection feature that prevents attackers from exploiting memory vulnerabilities, such as buffer overflows.
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USB Protections: Features that prevent untrusted peripherals from using your phone’s charging port for data transfers.
The Memory Tagging Extension (MTE) is a recent addition to the Android operating system, designed to improve memory management.
MTE uses a tagging system to track memory allocation and deallocation, allowing for more efficient use of system resources.
This extension aims to reduce memory-related issues, such as fragmentation and leaks, by providing a more accurate picture of memory usage.
MTE is particularly beneficial for applications with complex memory requirements, enabling developers to optimize their code and improve overall performance.
Benefits of Advanced Protection
The main innovation behind Advanced Protection is the introduction of an audit log mechanism to detect compromise. This mechanism provides a resistant solution to device tampering and brings intrusion detection capabilities to consumers. By pulling logs down from the cloud, users can share them with security experts or NGOs for analysis.
Integration and Availability
Most Advanced Protection features will launch next week with Android 16, while Intrusion Logging is expected to arrive later this year along with additional features such as USB protections. Google is also offering an API for integrating Advanced Protection directly into third-party apps.
Android is an open-source mobile operating system developed by Google.
First released in 2008, it has since become the most widely used mobile OS globally.
Android's architecture is based on a modified version of the Linux kernel and uses a multi-user, multi-tasking design.
Its user interface is customizable through various launchers and widgets.
Key features include 'Google Assistant integration', Google Play Store access, and advanced security measures.
