Symantec Finds Security Holes in Apple's iOS and Google's Android

Apple’s (News - Alert) iOS and Google’s Android have seen improvements in security but some gaps remain, potentially exposing mobile devices to various types of attacks, says a recent study from the folks at Symantec (News - Alert).

The study “A Window into Mobile Device Security: Examining the security approaches employed in Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android,” looked at both popular mobile platforms to determine the security risks for organizations that roll out Apple and Android mobile devices to their employees.

Apple’s iOS is considered the more secure of the two platforms, according to the study. Apple offers better protection against malware as a result of its developer certification and app approval processes, which uncover the identify of each author.

In contrast, Android is seen as less secure since Google’s (News - Alert) certification process is weaker, allowing any developer to design and deploy apps anonymously, a factor that has in the past led to malware targeted toward Android devices.

Among other findings, Symantec determined that although both operating systems were designed with security in mind, such security isn’t always enough to protect the sensitive corporate data that workers store on their devices. Users also are connecting to and synchronizing with more third-party services outside of their own corporate environments, another aspect that adds an element of risk.

Beyond standard devices, those that are jailbroken or rooted pose even greater security threats, making them as vulnerable as your average PC. Employees also frequently bring their own devices into the workforce. Such devices often go unmanaged by IT yet they access IT resources, such as company documents, calendars, contact lists, and email. Even further, employees will often synchronize corporate data with third-party cloud services as well as their own PCs.

Overall, Symantec sees mobile devices as “mixed bag” in terms of security. Though they come built in with various features designed to ensure security, these are still first and foremost consumer devices, and so, security can sometimes take a back seat to usability in certain areas. As a result, these devices pose certain risks in an enterprise environment.

Sensing a new market, the security vendors have been busy trying to devise products and services to better secure mobile devices. Symantec itself offers a free, lite product for the Android Market called Norton Mobile Security, which tries to thwart malware before it affects the device. McAfee (News - Alert) sells a more full-featured product for organizations called Enterprise Mobility Management. Geared for both iOS and Android, Enterprise Mobility Management is designed to protect mobile devices against malware and also help IT better manage such devices.

Ultimately, of course, it’s up to IT management and staffers to determine which mobile devices are accessing their network resources and implement the right security strategies and policies to mitigate against the potential risks as greatly as possible.

Want to learn more about the latest in communications and technology? Then be sure to attend ITEXPO West 2011, taking place Sept. 13-15, 2011, in Austin, Texas. ITEXPO (News - Alert) offers an educational program to help corporate decision makers select the right IP-based voice, video, fax and unified communications solutions to improve their operations. It's also where service providers learn how to profitably roll out the services their subscribers are clamoring for – and where resellers can learn about new growth opportunities. To register, click here.