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Android 4.2 gets remote malware scanning capability

Categories: Android
By: , IntoMobile
Monday, November 5th, 2012 at 1:44 AM

One of the little known capabilities of the new Android 4.2 Jelly Bean platform is the ability to scan your phone for potential malware. The feature builds on top of the security technology Google introduced for the Play Store in February. However, now it works on your phone too, scanning the apps you install from third-party sources.

The first time you sideload an app, a popup will appear asking you if you want the application to be checked for “harmful behavior.” By tapping the “Agree” button, Android will compare the app with known threats and let you know whether you’re good to go or not — Google’s servers will analyze the info and compare it with the database of known applications. If something’s wrong, the system will prevent you from installing the application. And yes, you can enable or disable the capability from Settings.

In addition to this app scanning capability, Android 4.2 also rocks new and improved app permissions screen, showing up anytime you install an app from outside of the Play Store…

[Via: ComputerWorld]

About The Author

Dusan Belic

Dusan has been using smartphones since their introduction and is now following the latest trends in the industry. The "convergence" is what he's most excited about, and writing about it is the next logical thing to do. He thinks that using a smartphone is what everyone who cares about their time should do. In addition to his interests in mobile phones, Dusan also loves to experiment with the latest web and mobile 2.0 services. The idea of accessing and managing your information from any device no matter where you are simply amazes him. Whether it's an online to-do list, note taking service or a video sharing social network, he's there to try it out. He admits though, he's still searching for the ultimate web-based organizational tool, which "sings" perfectly with the mobile PIM application. Dusan used to run SymbianWatch.com which later became part of IntoMobile. He lives in Serbia, South-East Europe, from where he edits the site on a daily basis.