Whopper of the Week – Google’s Schmidt Says ‘Android More Secure Than iOS’

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Whopper of the Week - Google's Schmidt Says 'Android More Secure Than iOS' Listen to this article
Comparing ads to reality is sometimes very funny

Comparing ads to reality is sometimes very funny

 

This week at Gartner Symposium/ITxpo, Google Chairman Eric Schmidt was asked a question about Android security. Rather than answer directly, he said “Not secure? It’s more secure than the iPhone.” Perhaps unsurprisingly this drew laughter from the crowd – but he was being laughed AT, not WITH. Because it comes after a report showed >1 million Android apps had malware.

The report from F-Secure showed that in 2012 Android accounted for 79% of malware and malicious attacks, up from 66% in 2011. While there is certainly some impact of the platform market share, the actual numbers are way out of proportion. Here is the breakdown:

Android Malware Reach

None of this aligns with Schmidt’s defense of security, in which he tried to conflate the platform numbers with security. Certainly the Linux kernel at the heart of the platform allows for the potential of security, but as with so many things the open-ness of the platform also means it is open for easy attacks through malware and other channels.

So nice try, Schmidt … but try to remember that having huge numbers doesn’t automatically attach all other positive attributes.

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About the Author

Michael Anderson
I have loved technology for as long as I can remember - and have been a computer gamer since the PDP-10! Mobile Technology has played a major role in my life - I have used an electronic companion since the HP95LX more than 20 years ago, and have been a 'Laptop First' person since my Compaq LTE Lite 3/20 and Powerbook 170 back in 1991! As an avid gamer and gadget-junkie I was constantly asked for my opinions on new technology, which led to writing small blurbs ... and eventually becoming a reviewer many years ago. My family is my biggest priority in life, and they alternate between loving and tolerating my gaming and gadget hobbies ... but ultimately benefits from the addition of technology to our lives!