October 19, 2023 at 08:42AM
Google has introduced enhanced malware protection for all Android devices with Google Play Services. Its built-in security feature, Google Play Protect, scans over 100 billion applications daily to prevent malware and unwanted apps from reaching Android devices. The new update includes real-time scanning at the code level, providing additional security against emerging threats and polymorphic apps that alter their features to avoid detection. This feature is currently being rolled out in India and will be available in other countries in the upcoming months.
Google has announced enhanced security measures for all Android devices with Google Play Services. These improvements come in the form of real-time scanning at the code level in Google Play Protect, which is a built-in security feature. Google Play Protect scans over 100 billion applications daily to prevent malware and unwanted apps from reaching Android devices. If it detects malicious software, it can send a warning, block app installations, or disable the software completely.
Cybercriminals often trick users into installing harmful apps outside of Google Play, but Google Play Protect can now scan devices for such applications and alert users to suspicious software or known malicious apps. With the addition of real-time scanning at the code level, Google Play Protect can analyze apps that have never been scanned before during installation. The scanning process will extract important signals from the app and evaluate it at a code level. Once the analysis is complete, users will be notified if the app is safe to install or if it poses a potential threat.
This new capability aims to detect emerging threats and protect users from malicious polymorphic apps that use various techniques, including AI, to modify their features and evade detection. Google’s security protections and machine learning algorithms continuously learn from each app submitted for review, allowing them to strengthen the overall protection for the Android ecosystem.
Initially, the new security feature is rolling out to Android devices with Google Play services in India and will be available in other countries and regions in the coming months.