Study into the Implications of Smartphone Operating System Security

Study into the implications of Smartphone operating system security
levels of assurance in the majority of the unofficial app stores and file sharing websites that
Android users can go to acquire mobile apps.
There is no doubt that this weakens the Android security model and it is currently the single
biggest reason why malware is able to infect Android Smartphones.
Should Sideloading be stopped?
If sideloading apps pose a serious security risk to Android Smartphone users than why is it
still allowed.
There have been calls from the security industry to block sideloading and by default UK
MNOs will turn-off the sideloading option in Android Smartphones that they ship.
The European Network and Information Security Agency (ENISA) in a report 111 published in
2011 recommends that “the Smartphone should either be blocked from using untrusted app
stores or, for expert users, present clear warnings about installing from untrusted sources”.
However, there may consequences to the Android ecosystem that may affect its openness if
Google was to decide to remove the sideloading option from the operating system in future
releases. Electronic commerce retailers such as Amazon are reliant on sideloading support
to allow its Android-powered Kindle smart devices to download apps from Amazon’s own
curated app store.
111 Appstore security – 5 lines of defence against malware, ENISA, 12 September 2011:
http://www.enisa.europa.eu/activities/Resilience-and-CIIP/critical-applications/smartphone-security-
1/appstore-security-5-lines-of-defence-against-malware
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