For more generic questions relating security issues. For specific issues having their own tags, please use those -- e.g. 'malware', 'antivirus', 'privacy', 'lost-phone'. Please see the full tag wiki for more. For more in-depth Android security issues, you might rather want to visit our sister-site ...
34
votes
8answers
5k views
Is there a way to block access to or wipe my Google data for a lost/stolen phone
If my phone was ever lost or stolen, my only real concern is data and apps associated with my Google account, such as my Gmail, the ability to purchase apps from the Market, and maybe Picasa albums.
...
28
votes
4answers
8k views
Just how secure is a pattern lock?
I recently had a phone stolen. It's been replaced, I've changed my passwords, the phone company has shut down connectivity for the stolen one... I think I'm pretty much as safe as I can be.
However, ...
28
votes
2answers
2k views
Encrypt the phone's internal storage
Is there a way to encrypt my phone's internal memory, in the same way you would encrypt a computer's partition?
Ideally, the phone would always ask for the password when booting, and even if someone ...
27
votes
4answers
2k views
Is an antivirus really needed for Android?
I use Linux for half a decade now, so I am not used to dealing with viruses anymore. To my surprise, I saw some discussion about antiviruses in Android. I haven't installed any yet, but this bugs me: ...
22
votes
13answers
2k views
Are there any tools to sandbox a malware application even more than the granted permissions on Android?
Suppose I want to run some program which requests too many permissions. For example, record from the microphone or read IMEI of my phone. However, there are no practical explanation why recording from ...
20
votes
3answers
4k views
What are the security disadvantages of rooting an Android phone?
I know there was a discussion previously BUT they didn't talk about security. E.g.: if I root my phone will all my apps run with root permission?
Related: Are there any risks to rooting a device?
19
votes
3answers
6k views
My phone was just stolen an hour or so ago. Are there any options for tracking?
I realize this is a long shot, but my phone was lost or stolen a few hours ago.
At the time it was stolen, I didn't have any specific applications installed to track it or wipe the data. So... my ...
18
votes
5answers
5k views
Securing a young child's tablet
My wife has decided to get the kids a set of android tablets for christmas. These are Coby Kyros 4GB wi-fi only models. The kids are ages 6-10 so I don’t particularly want to let them have free ...
18
votes
3answers
1k views
Is there a black list for Android apps?
Is there a blacklist yet for Android apps? After reading things like this on slashdot, I think this sort of thing would be extremely helpful. As much as I like Android because I'm not censored as to ...
17
votes
4answers
684 views
I have sold my phone on eBay. What should I do before I send it off?
I have an Android phone which I just sold on eBay. What measures should I take before posting it off to its new home? Please answer thoroughly!
17
votes
2answers
17k views
How is the Gmail password stored in Android - and where?
I have looked around and found no information on how Android manages to store passwords on the device. Especially Gmail passwords. I'm looking to learn how Android encrypts and stores passwords ? What ...
17
votes
2answers
5k views
Does official Gmail app use a secure connection?
As simple as that, when I'm using the official Gmail app to access my email account, does it use a secure connection?
17
votes
2answers
3k views
Stolen phone: is changing your GMail password enough?
My Galaxy phone got stolen today. Of course I blocked my SIM card and changed my password for GMail (and went to the police) but is this enough? Could the person that stole my phone still log in to ...
16
votes
2answers
758 views
Security of Paid apps in Google Play?
What measures does Google takes to ensure that paid apps that are downloaded do not get spread for free? Currently I see a possibility that can leak out a large number of apps:
Someone pays to ...
15
votes
2answers
832 views
If I use free WiFi in a hotspot, can data be easily sniffed?
If I use my mobile device in a Wifi hotspot, can I take it that it bears the same risks as using a laptop in that data can be easily sniffed and that the mobile device is also open to ...
15
votes
1answer
6k views
How can I verify the authenticity of an apk file I downloaded?
The latest update of Google Maps is unavailable in my country, so I downloaded a version by googling for "Google Maps 5.4.0 apk". I did in fact find it, but now I wonder how I can tell if this is in ...
15
votes
5answers
2k views
Open source app for remote wiping Android phone?
I recently lost my android phone, and regretted not having a remote wipe app installed. However, I do not trust 3rd party compiled apps with such power (too many weak links).
Does anyone know of an ...
15
votes
3answers
868 views
Audit app permissions easily in one place?
Is there anyway to list all the applications installed on your phone and the permissions they require all on one page, or export the list so it can easily be audited?
15
votes
4answers
3k views
What Android sync'd data is encrypted?
With the release of the firesheep plug-in for firefox it has become trivial for website browsing on open Wi-Fi networks to be hijacked by 3rd party listeners.
Android offers the convenient auto-sync ...
15
votes
1answer
927 views
Why do some apps with no internet features require internet access?
A couple of apps I've installed or considered say they require internet access even though they have no obvious internet features. One of the most surprising ones was a simple compass app.
Why is ...
14
votes
6answers
1k views
How can I find a lost phone or help people return it?
I'm looking for an app like Where's My Droid to help locate a lost device.
Ideally I'm hoping there is one that might have two specific features:
The ability to display a message to the screen to ...
14
votes
2answers
1k views
Security risks of rooting your android smartphone [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Are there any risks to rooting a device?
What are the security risks specific to rooting your android smartphone? Are there any security exploits available because you ...
13
votes
2answers
552 views
Is it “safe” to provide users with the apk file?
I was wondering, if I have an app that is available on the Play Store, is it "safe" to provide a direct download of the apk file to someone (either signed with the proper keys, or just debug-version)?
...
13
votes
2answers
1k views
Is there any way to erase personal information from my phone that has already been stolen?
My phone has been stolen. I do not want the thief to have access to any of my personal information such as calls, texts, and information saved in the phones contents. Is there any possible way I can ...
13
votes
2answers
1k views
Where to find a PIN lock screen that scrambles the keypad on every use?
Is there some way to get a lock screen whose PIN pad changes number layouts every time it's used? It seems like a very basic way to thwart smudge attacks and yet my (broken?) google-fu can't find any ...
13
votes
4answers
3k views
How do I secure/encrypt SD card data transparent to apps?
Are there any off-the-shelf options for securing the contents of an SD card so that files written by apps writing to SD are encrypted? If so, what is the best option?
I'm looking for something for ...
13
votes
5answers
2k views
Is it reasonably safe to use PIN code for encryption?
On the Android 4.0 (Samsung Galaxy Nexus) there is a posibilty to encrypt the phone.
I found this about the encryption on Android 3.0, is the same algorithms used in Android 4? ...
12
votes
7answers
4k views
Are the apps safe? How can I make my Android more secure?
Are the apps on the Android Market checked or audited?
If I search Google for "hardening Android", the best hit I can find is Google Android Hardening Checklist.
What's your opinion regarding this? ...
11
votes
4answers
20k views
Is there any WEP cracking application available for android?
Is there any WEP cracking application available for android?
If not is WEP cracking technically possible with the API's and hardware available on your average android phone?
This is a purely ...
11
votes
2answers
756 views
Which disk encryption standard is used in Honeycomb?
Does anyone posses an official or un-official information on which encryption standard is used in Honeycomb "encrypt tablet" option? Is there an information on any hacks or backdoors, placed for law ...
11
votes
2answers
2k views
How can I make my phone/tablet ring remotely without a SIM card?
I appear to have lost my Streak somewhere in my apartment, and I can't call it since I don't have a SIM card in it. I've remotely installed Plan B just because, but unfortunately the GPS coordinates ...
11
votes
1answer
165 views
How can I require the pattern unlock only for specified times
Is it possible to require the pattern unlock only during certain times? For example, while I'm at work, I don't want to require the pattern unlock, however, anytime I'm not at work I do.
Is this ...
10
votes
2answers
3k views
How to protect my google account?
I am very concerned with security of my Google account in case I lost the phone (as in: lose it, have it stolen/robbed, etc.). Right now it seems that whoever grabs my phone will also have full access ...
10
votes
4answers
1k views
Can my Android device become - remotely and without my permission - a wiretap and get used as surveillance device?
I saw the following article:
An article in the Financial Times last year said mobile providers can
"remotely install a piece of software on to any handset, without the
owner's knowledge, which ...
10
votes
1answer
2k views
List of open ports on Android
Is there a way, on a non-rooted Android device, to see a list of what apps are listening on what port? Or even a way to see if an app is listening on a specific port?
10
votes
1answer
2k views
How does android transfer with bump apps work?
I've come across several apps which allows the user to transfer data (like files, photos, contacts) when they "bump" their phones.
An example is Bump, which use the the bump to transfer files and add ...
10
votes
1answer
617 views
What do the permissions that applications require mean?
When installing an application, the application lists permissions that it needs to perform its functions.
I am creating this list of the the system defined permissions and a description of what ...
10
votes
4answers
6k views
Security options grayed out
I have my mobile phone (Samsung Galaxy S2) running on ICS. Recently I activated Microsoft Exchnage ActiveSync to connect to my corporate email. It disabled all the security options like 'Pattern ...
10
votes
2answers
240 views
Does the official Google Plus Android client use HTTPS for automatic photo upload?
I'm at a conference using their (open) wifi. Normally I don't bother to tunnel my connection because I figure anything I care about (email, banking, etc.) goes over SSL/HTTPS anyway. It occurred to ...
9
votes
3answers
2k views
How would you uninstall a rogue Home (Launcher) application?
If you were to install a Home Screen application that does not give you access to the System Settings screen (to go to Manage Applications), and also does not let you launch Apps (such as the Market ...
9
votes
1answer
2k views
How do I protect my phone from malicious apps once it is rooted?
I rooted my phone.
Now if I use a Terminal Emulator such as Android Terminal Emulator, I noticed that I can can easily obtain root access without a password:
$ id
uid=10059(app_59) gid=10059(app_59) ...
9
votes
5answers
5k views
Disable ActiveSync Remote Wipe in Froyo
In short:
Is there a way to disable remote wipe for Android Phones (specifically in Froyo)?
Background:
I recently upgraded my G1 to a G2, and was about to set up my company e-mail account. But the ...
9
votes
1answer
6k views
My android phone was stolen. How worried should I be with all my google data inside the phone?
Ok, so my samsung galaxy 5 was stolen. I had gmail, calendar, twitter(tweetdeck), facebook, ... all my personal data in it.
I didn't have any app installed that could wipe this information from a ...
9
votes
1answer
856 views
Encrypt Tablet in Android 3.1 hangs indefinitely
I've recently gotten an Asus EEE Pad Transformer (my first Android device) and I love it. I've updated it to 3.1 right away.
I tried to enable the "Encrypt tablet" option. After following the ...
9
votes
3answers
282 views
Prevent entering PIN code before lockscreen
I have a Samsung Galaxy Mini. I'd like to know if it is possible to prevent the user from entering the PIN code before unlocking the normal pattern, since it recently happened to me that someone got ...
8
votes
5answers
611 views
How to improve the security on my Android phone?
When I use Android in business I have some secret data on my phone. So if I lose my phone this can easily be stolen.
Is there any way I can secure my phone? E.g. adding password for unlocking it. Any ...
8
votes
3answers
2k views
Remotely brick a stolen phone
If my phone is lost or stolen, can I remotely and permanently brick my phone. This way, not only is my data secure, but the resale value of the phone plummets to zero.
Tangential question: can apps ...
8
votes
2answers
166 views
Formatting Android storage “zero out” technique
I have an Android mobile (Galaxy S3), and am really worried that my corporate information will be retrieved after a reset. I've seen shared video showing it is possible to recover data after hard ...
8
votes
1answer
2k views
Child-proofing an Android phone?
Is there a way (an app, or a special launcher, a set of apps with instructions) that allows turning an Android phone into a child-proof "only call parents" one?
Here are my main requirements (and ...
8
votes
3answers
1k views
Biometric-security lock-screen?
Is there a way to apply a biometric lock (as in, a look screen) to an Android device? e.g. the unlocker has to pass a fingerprint / retina / voice scan. I've read about startup companies and general ...
