Security update allows Android to continuously monitor apps behavior

Google comes with a security update for the Android operating system that allows the behavior of applications in the background to be constantly monitored. This allows the OS to warn if an app wants to download malicious software, for example.

Computerwold reports this on the basis of a presentation that Google employee Adrian Ludwig gave during the RSA meeting. An update to Android will roll out in the coming weeks that revamps the Verify Apps mechanism. Verify Apps checks every newly installed app for code that could potentially be malicious. Currently, this only happens during installation, but after the update, apps can be constantly monitored. For example, the operating system can warn if an apparently harmless app suddenly starts downloading malicious code.

The update is being rolled out via a new version of Play Services, an app closely tied to the operating system itself. This eliminates the need for users to manually install a new version of Android on their device. Google is rolling out the software for Android devices from Android version 2.3. That means most users will get the security update.

In addition to the Verify Apps mechanism, Google has also built security into its Play Store. It also constantly scans for malicious software. However, Android users can also install apps outside the Play Store, which means that security on the device itself is also necessary.