According to Trend Micro Inc., the world's largest corporate security software provider, devices running Google's Android mobile operating software are more vulnerable to hackers and viruses than are Apple's iPhone devices.
During a recent interview in Taipei, Trend Micro chairman Steve Chang told Businessweek about Android's potentially dangerous security flaw:
Android is open-source, which means the hacker can also understand the underlying architecture and source code [...] We have to give credit to Apple, because they are very careful about it. [...] Apple has a sandbox concept that isolates the platform, which prevents certain viruses that want to replicate themselves or decompose and recompose to avoid virus scanners.
Chang points out that Android's open-source software offers more of a free-for-all scenario. "Chang said he's betting Android users will start to buy more security software for mobile devices," writes Businessweek.
This news comes at a time when the Android OS's popularity is growing rapidly in the United States. Indeed, Nielsen figures from June 2010 through November 2010 show Android to be the leading mobile operating system among recent smartphone buyers.
Although Apple's app approval process is notoriously strict, Apple devices may still be vulnerable to malicious software and third-party hacks. For example, iPhones are prone to phishing attacks, which can dupe the user into handing over personal data.
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