Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Ask Slashdot: Most Secure Mobile OS?

Posted by timothy on from the much-more-secure-before-out-of-the-box dept.

Lexta writes "So I'm contemplating my next smartphone purchase, and I've been a little put off by all of the security exploits posted on Slashdot over the last few months, particularly for Android. So, what's the most secure stock standard (not jailbroken) mobile OS?"

12 of 291 comments (clear)

  1. The Most Secure Mobile OS by MasterMan · · Score: 3, Informative

    Both Android and iOS have been plagued with exploits. Android has tons of trojans, while iOS has remote exploits (most of those iPhone jail breaking methods are based on remote root exploits). The only current smartphone OS that is safe against exploits and vulnerabilities is Windows Phone 7. Microsoft has really improved their security within the last 5 years - even on the desktop Windows most exploits are against third party apps like Flash or Java, not Windows itself.

    So, if you want to get a smartphone that is safe against exploits and malware, Windows Phone 7 is your only answer. I would suggest some of the Nokia phones - people have been really happy with them.

    1. Re:The Most Secure Mobile OS by PhilHibbs · · Score: 4, Informative

      But for hacker targets, particularly phishing or personal data theft which the submitter is probably concerned about, desktop market share is the important metric.

    2. Re:The Most Secure Mobile OS by PhilHibbs · · Score: 5, Informative

      Android may use the Linux kernel, but it isn't kernel exploits that are the main concern, it's app API exploits.

    3. Re:The Most Secure Mobile OS by icebike · · Score: 3, Informative

      Android has tons of trojans, while iOS has remote exploits (most of those iPhone jail breaking methods are based on remote root exploits).

      Wrong on both counts.

      IOS jailbreaks are based on LOCAL root exploits. You have to have it in hand to jailbreak it. There is no drive-by jailbreak available.

      Android Trojans might be found in dodgy third party app sites, but are quickly squashed in the Android Market (now called Google Play after one of the dumbest re-names in memory). Each Android app specifically tells you what permissions (data access, phone functions) it wants to use before it installs.

      (There are rumors that development is already underway to block apps from using certain permissions even if they do declare them, offering users a finer grained control.).

      If you want to be safe, you install only from Itunes, Android Market, Amazon Market, and a couple of other well trusted app market places. There is never a need for a newbie to run off and install from some web site, or root their phone.

      As for Windows Phone, who knows, because it simply is too small to attract any significant attention at this point. Given Microsoft's history of OS vulnerabilities you have to be a true believer to assume their new found religion of security is believable.

      --
      Sig Battery depleted. Reverting to safe mode.
    4. Re:The Most Secure Mobile OS by carlhaagen · · Score: 5, Informative

      "Both Android and iOS have been plagued with exploits"
      "The only current smartphone OS that is safe against exploits and vulnerabilities is Windows Phone 7"
      "even on the desktop Windows most exploits are against third party apps like Flash or Java, not Windows itself"
      "if you want to get a smartphone that is safe against exploits and malware, Windows Phone 7 is your only answer"

      You have absolutely no idea what you're writing, do you? I'm amazed this got upvoted 5 points and labelled Informative.

    5. Re:The Most Secure Mobile OS by MasterMan · · Score: 3, Informative

      IOS jailbreaks are based on LOCAL root exploits. You have to have it in hand to jailbreak it. There is no drive-by jailbreak available.

      For years all that was needed to jailbreak iOS was just visiting a website. Those websites remotely exploited Safari and iOS to gain root access and jailbreak the phone. The same exploits work for malware too.

    6. Re:The Most Secure Mobile OS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

      You have absolutely no idea what you're writing, do you? I'm amazed this got upvoted 5 points and labelled Informative.

      You're amazed that a first post paste job praising MS and disparaging their competitors got modded to +5 almost immediately on Slashdot? You haven't been paying attention.

    7. Re:The Most Secure Mobile OS by AliasMarlowe · · Score: 3, Informative

      I've had a Lumia 800 since november and the only two things I'm really missing now is a native app for Google+ (though the mobile web version works fine) and something that can talk to the OBD2 Bluetooth dongle I have for my car.

      If you want a secure phone and want it to be from Nokia, then try the Nokia N9. It's a charm, in countries where it's available (yes for Australia, Finland, Italy, Sweden, etc. but not for USA, UK, Canada, Germany, Japan, etc.).

      --
      Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. - Voltaire
    8. Re:The Most Secure Mobile OS by DJRumpy · · Score: 1, Informative

      Most trojans don't state "I'm asking for access to your contacts so I can sell your address to Russian spammers". They ask if they can 'access you contacts".

      Claiming the malware affecting Android somehow warns people up front as to exactly what it's going to do is disingeneous. It warns what areas it will access, but not what the intent is, and for a non-technical person, that equates to rather pointless information.

  2. Re:-1 Flamebait by Bucky24 · · Score: 4, Informative

    We need a way to moderate articles.

    It's called the Firehose.

    --
    All the world's a CPU, and all the men and women merely AI agents
  3. iOS has yet to be hacked in the wild... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Informative

    iOS has yet to have a breach in the wild. There is the PDF exploit in the past, but that has yet to be used for anything other than a jailbreak, and that is long since fixed.

    There has yet to be a single compromise of an iPhone in the wild. Labs, yes. However, Joe Schmo with his 4S has nothing to worry about whatsoever.

    Contrast that to Android where two taps can turn one's phone into a spam machine, not to mention slurp up every single byte and hand it to an overseas organization.

  4. Want real security? Get an N900 or an N9 by jdb2 · · Score: 3, Informative

    The N900 and N9 are full blown Unix/Linux machines with all the bells and whistles that come with a non-neutered version of the GNU/Linux environment.

    That being said, they support many Unix/Linux security mechanisms, but if you want proof, how about full disk encryption for starters?

    jdb2