Study finds 25 percent of Android apps to be a security risk

PCWorld - According to a new report from Bit9—a security vendor with a focus on defending against advanced persistent threats (APT)—there is a one in four chance that downloading an Android app from the official Google Play market could put you at risk. Bit9 analyzed 400,000 or so apps in Google Play, and found over 100,000 it considers to be on the shady side.

Does that mean that the sky is falling, and everyone with an Android smartphone or tablet should abandon it immediately? No. The research by Bit9 illustrates some issues with app development in general, and should raise awareness among mobile users to exercise some discretion when downloading and installing apps, but it’s not a sign of any urgent crisis affecting Android apps.

The report from Bit9 isn’t about apps that contain malware, or are even overtly malicious for that matter. Bit9 reviewed the permissions requested by the apps, and examined the security and privacy implications of granting those permissions. The reality is that many apps request permission to access sensitive content they have no actual need for. 

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Revamped Android Market for Mobile Adds Movies, E-Books

 

PC World.Com - Google on Tuesday unveiled a revamped Android Market for mobile that includes movie rentals and e-books in the U.S., as well as a more streamlined interface.

In the U.S., users can rent movies starting at $1.99 directly from the Android Market via a new Videos app.

"With the Videos app, available in Android Market, there's no more waiting for downloads, syncing, or worrying about storage space," Google said in a blog post.

"Simply sign into Android Market with your Google account, and you can rent movies from anywhere—the web, or your Android phone or tablet—and start watching instantly."

You can also download the movies for offline viewing.      More

How to check your Android device for rogue apps

CNET - Maybe you only just became security-conscious after reading the latest news about Trojans making life miserable for Android users, or maybe you're trying to help a friend who's nervous about their data. The tedium induced by checking through every installed app and confirming its security might drive some to go for a factory reset, but a free app called PermissionDog lets you scan your device for any app that might cause problems, then confirm whether you trust it or not. Here's how to use it:

Install PermissionDog and fire it up. It will take some time for it to scan all your apps.

Once it's scanned, select the "Applications" tab, then tap the Menu button and select "Sort by danger" to see which apps could potentially do the most damage. In the example below, I know and trust the top apps in the list; if you see something unfamiliar or an app you never use that's got access to spooky levels of permission, you may want to uninstall it just to be safe.

Permission Dog application list

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