On Wednesday, the second day of the Google I/O 2024 conference, Google announced new security and privacy protections, including live on-device threat detection to catch malicious apps, new protections for screen sharing, and security improvements. announced that it will be added to Android. For cell site simulators.
The company said it is enhancing the on-device capabilities of the Google Play Protect system to detect unauthorized apps that attempt to compromise sensitive privileges. It also uses AI to detect whether your app is trying to interact with other services or apps in unauthorized ways.
Google said its systems automatically disable apps if it believes malicious behavior. Otherwise, we will alert the business to ask for a review and then alert the user.
The company says the system uses Private Compute Core, a sandbox for securely processing data from sensors such as microphones, cameras, and screens. Multiple OEMs in the Android ecosystem, including Google, Oppo, Honor, Lenovo, OnePlus, Nothing, Transsion, and Sharp, plan to deploy live threat detection later this year.
In October, Google introduced a system that automatically scans sideloaded apps to learn about fraudulent activity and alert users. However, TechCrunch found that the tool cannot scan all potentially dangerous apps.
“Live Threat Detection monitors the behavior of all apps on your device, regardless of where they're installed, continuously looking for signs of fraud or malicious behavior. “It's especially useful for detecting apps that can hide or obfuscate your content,” a Google spokesperson said.
New protection features in Android 15
Google is making it more difficult for sideloaded apps to directly access sensitive permissions. To that end, we've expanded the Restricted Settings feature in Android 13 to include sideloaded apps, web browsers, messaging apps, and file managers. This means that users must explicitly grant access to certain permissions to these apps after installation.
The search giant is also working on a feature that will prevent unauthorized apps from reading one-time passwords (OTPs). In Android 15, Google hides code in notifications by default. The only thing we're excited about with this change is the wearable companion app.
The company also hides notification content from participants during remote screen sharing sessions. Similarly, after entering your username and password, your screen will be hidden from remote viewers.
With Android 15, users can choose to share content from one app during screen sharing instead of sharing all activity on their device. This feature is currently available on Pixel smartphones.
Advanced security against network threats
Google is adding protection against the threat posed by cell site simulators that eavesdrop on network activity such as calls and SMS. The company will now notify users about unencrypted mobile phone networks to protect them from SMS fraud.
The company also said it would notify users, including journalists and dissidents, if a proxy mobile station attempted to monitor their activities.
