Mobile Security for Android and iOS

Posted by Bharti on March 25th, 2022

Do you know that mobile malware has been on the rise since 2018, with the occurrence of malware increasing by 54%? In 2020, 97 percent of companies encountered mobile threats employing a variety of attack vectors. At least one employee in 46 percent of companies downloaded a malicious mobile phone app.

It elevates mobile security to the top of the priority list. As smartphones have rapidly evolved in recent times to store and access our most personal information, mobile security is the highest priority for any mobile phone. Whether used to manage our finances, business data, social lives, or personal information, these devices contain crucial data that cybercriminals can exploit. To keep secure, you\\'ll need to use security-focused devices and apps.

Despite the increasing mobile attacks, most users are not ready for the consequences of using mobile phones as a single point of contact for all of their critical data. Whereas the users bear a large portion of the responsibility for safe behavior, smartphone and applications developers take equal responsibility for designing secure devices.

This article will discuss mobile security across the major mobile operating systems, i.e., Android and iOS. You can also read this guide to secure your phone.

Mobile Security: Android vs. iOS

A secure mobile platform means secure data. Choosing a reliable mobile phone will set the course for your cell phone security. However, how safe is each mobile platform? Mobile phones are now both essential and prevalent in our lives, drawing the attention of cybercriminals keen to steal your sensitive data.

Like most people, you likely have one of two smartphone platforms: Android or iOS. Consumers of these two phone models frequently argue over which is superior. 

Ultimately, an increasing number of people are purchasing and using Android smartphones. As per Forrester Research, this operating system is installed on 74% of the available market devices. And if statistics are to believe, it also faces 98% of mobile security attacks. 

However, the truth is more complicated than a simple declaration of one model\\'s dominance over another. When comparing the security of Android and iOS, it is necessary to consider the factors that make the mobile platform safe. Let\\'s look into them.

Android Security

Android has a shaky security track record because no one controls it. In easier words, no one manages the applications developed and installed on Android phones. 

With devices and operating system development occurring in relative isolation, only the more prominent names in the Android smartphone market get the good longevity of supported Operating System updates. OS integration is much lower for cheaper models. By extension, app compatibility typically ends with an out-of-date operating system. Potential threats are also associated with Android\\'s more significant market share and open-source operating system. These provide cybercriminals with the techniques and possible payoff they need to target Android devices.

Luckily, Google is constantly striving to improve Android reliability. More pressingly, by customizing their Smartphones, consumers can have absolute control over their security and privacy.

Many customers will be able to secure their Android smartphones by keeping them updated and preventing installing apps from unknown or suspect sources. Furthermore, selecting more popular Android phones will increase your chances of staying in the Operating System support cycle. Product lines like Norton or Kaspersky protect your Android smartphone from malware as an added precaution.

On the marketing front, newer Android devices sustain Google\\'s Android for Work, which is intended to protect workforce uses and applications.

iOS Security

Unlike Android, Apple\\'s iOS is strictly regulated by Apple, which also tightly handles the applications available in the Apple App Store. Such control enables Apple devices to provide robust security at the expense of some user limitations.

For instance, iOS only permits one version of an application on every phone. So, suppose a consumer has an additional security-restricted version of an app provided by the organization. In that case, the user cannot use the same app for personal use because of Apple\\'s restrictions. iOS customization is also limited compared to Android, with everything from the device\\'s looks to app performance having to adhere to Apple\\'s design guidelines.

iOS consumers will be confined to Apple-approved apps and devices, which seems to be good for privacy. With fewer points of contact across the environment, Apple can endorse each of their phones for a more extended period than systems with hardware-OS decentralization. Because of Apple\\'s relatively small system, even older models may be able to operate the latest OS and applications, yielding all the advantages of new security patches. As an outcome, iPhone reliability has acquired a \\"safer\\" track record among consumers.

Furthermore, the confined ecosystem only allows applications that do not access the device\\'s root coding, which lessens the need for iOS virus protection while making it impossible to produce an iOS antivirus for App Store permission.

iOS, on the other hand, is not immune to malware and viruses. You would have little to no command if Apple skips any security flaws or prefers unfavorable security measures.

Finally, deciding which device to use boils down to a trade-off between the liberty of use and the possibility of becoming a hacking target.