Android may be the most popular mobile OS, but security is a major cause for concern on Google ‘s ecosystem, with fragmentation being one of the main reasons for this flaw.

Trend Micro recently put the security of the four major mobile platforms – iOS 5, Android 2.3, Windows Phone 7.5, and BlackBerry 7 – through the paces, running tests on built-in security, authentication, data protection, device protection, application security, and various other security-related attributes. BlackBerry topped the charts with an average score of 2.89, while the rest of the platforms fell behind by a significant margin. iOS clocked in at 1.7, Windows Phone came in just behind at 1.61, and Android brought up the rear with a 1.37 rating.

Granted, an older version of Android was tested, but with fragmentation rampant and an estimated 63.2-percent of Android users still using Gingerbread, it made the most sense as the test version. On the positive side, Trend Micro did note that on Ice Cream Sandwich, “full device encryption for data protection and Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR) for buffer overflow protection” were implemented to improve security – it’s just too bad that less than three percent of Android devices are running ICS.

Updates are issued through individual manufacturers or carriers, which leaves the Android platform with no means of offering OS updates to all devices. This fragmentation can leave security holes and exploits unaddressed for months at a time, if not longer, which is why cyber criminals appear to favor Google’s Android as their targeted mobile platform of choice. Also, these cyber criminals can trick users into thinking a particular app on the marketplace is coming from a reliable, trusted source by using clever means of leveraging and promotion. While Google has taken some steps to curb the introduction of malicious apps, many still manage to regularly find their way onto the marketplace. It is estimated that well over 100,000 malicious apps will be on the marketplace by year’s end if steps are not taken to address these security issues.

Despite its impressive market performance, Android security and manageability are the lowest in the segment. The Google Android operating system is at its fourth commercial iteration and has recently seen some important security additions, such as device encryption support, however good Mobile Device Management APIs and a reliable control of the overall operating system versioning and application ecosystem are still conspicuous by their absence. The system is widely exposed to malware and data loss, and the platform fragmentation resulting from the rich OEM ecosystem has proved quite challenging for enterprise adoption. IT managers should definitely consider adding Android to their set of flexible policies but should probably limit its use to the least sensitive mobile roles.

Unfortunately, the end user often fails to closely inspect the permissions request dialogue in their haste to use the app and, for the average end user, it is unclear when permissions are given and what the application is actually capable of. Once the application is installed, the OS doesn’t recheck with the user and goes on to use the permissions without prompting the user again.

To compound things for Google, Trend Micro wasn’t the only company to recently run tests on Android’s security with negative results. Paul Brodeur of Leviathan Security took a unique approach and created a special Android app that looked to test what sort of data he could extract from a device even without any app permissions. Brodeur tested his app on both Ice Cream Sandwich and Gingerbread with alarming results, and they certainly don’t do the Android platform any favors.

Using his “No Permissions” app, Brodeur was able to read all non-hidden files on the SD card, which apps are installed on the device and whether you can pull sensitive data from their directories, and grab identifiable information about the device.

What can be done with the data once it’s collected? Without the INTERNET permission, how can it be sent anywhere? While it’s true that most network access is restricted, there is one network call that can be made without any permissions: the URI ACTION_VIEW Intent opens a browser. By passing data via GET parameters in a URI, the browser will exfiltrate any collected data. In my tests, I found that the app is able to launch the browser even after it has lost focus, allowing for transmission of large amounts of data by creating successive browser calls.

If you have Android and you’ve ever installed an app, you’ve undoubtedly seen the app permissions that you have to accept before installing the app on your device. While this puts users in charge of their own security, most users seem to blindly accept app installation terms without thinking of the security ramifications. Some app permissions are understandable, but then there are those apps that ask for device permissions it has no business using. Can someone explain to me why an app called Application Folder, used to create folders to group apps, needs to directly call phone numbers or needs access to the personal information on my tablet?

Sometimes all it takes is a little common sense and careful reading to secure your device, but that’s not always the case with Android.

RIM’s fall from grace has been well documented, and the company recently took another hit with the departure of two senior executives in what is starting to become a trend at the company. Senior Vice President Alan Brenner is in the midst of a transition period, while Alistair Mitchell, a vice president with BlackBerry’s instant messaging platform, has already left.

Once a dominant powerhouse, RIM has seen their shares plummet from its once unreachable perch atop the market.  The company seems to lack direction as they continue to make one failed venture after another – everything from the lengthy delay of BlackBerry 10 to the PlayBook has been less than fruitful, to say the least, for the company’s waning finances and investor confidence.

RIM seems to be putting their full support behind BlackBerry 10, which could make or break the company. The new OS appears to be a large departure from older iterations, but it looks like a combination of Android’s and Windows Phone’s interface. While the QNX-based OS has some potential, RIM is already lagging far behind the competition, and the company can hardly afford to wait for their new OS to mature and be widely adopted.

BlackBerry 10 needs to be a finished and polished product at launch that focuses on the user experience – quality must be top notch, communication needs to be seamless, apps need to be readily available and it should offer something unique that other platforms don’t. However, even if RIM manages to deliver on all fronts, that doesn’t guarantee any sort of turnaround for the company. Buzz for BlackBerry 10 is low, and the continued momentum of iOS and Android will only make things tougher. Also, with no new major products on the horizon until the launch of BlackBerry 10, RIM will continue to see their market share dip at a pivotal time.

Despite an increasingly bleak future, BlackBerry is still a strong global brand and RIM still has a number of attractive assets. CEO Thorsten Heins has gone on record saying that RIM wouldn’t rule out a sale or joint venture with another company, which is where Microsoft can come in and take advantage of the opportunity.

Of course, fixing RIM’s woes is not as simple as agreeing to a partnership or an outright sale – a joint venture between RIM and Microsoft would only lay the groundwork for a much larger endeavor, but one that would be much easier with the backing of the Redmond giant.

RIM had a stranglehold on the enterprise market – able to tout quick, easy, and secure communication, the BlackBerry was the platform of choice for companies around the world. Power players in government and corporate offices were practically attached at the hip to their “CrackBerry” handsets and they could be seen everywhere, but more and more companies are moving away from the BlackBerry and allowing their employees to adopt different phones.

Enterprise market experience is one of several factors that make a partnership with — or purchase of  — RIM helpful to Microsoft. With RIM in Microsoft’s corner, they could use the Canadian company as an enterprise focused division that could aid Microsoft and Windows Phone in gaining a foothold in the enterprise market, which could be the needed momentum they need to battle against Apple and Google. Also, associating RIM with Windows Phone will only help its popularity and appeal. BlackBerry still has a fierce and loyal following that could eventually adopt the fledgling Windows Phone platform, which could help grow the slow but steadily expanding user base.

As for RIM, by refocusing their efforts on what made the company so successful in the first place and not trying to compete in a consumer market that has already left them far behind, they have a chance to recapture some of their former glory. Less time and money being poured into platform development would allow the company to shift resources and concentrate on other priorities. The adoption of the Windows Phone Marketplace would also bring an army of developers to help expand BlackBerry’s presence and reach.

A major obstacle is RIM’s current price point, which is still not at a desirable number for prospective buyers. It’s doubtful something imminent is on the way – for any company in the market — in terms of a potential sale of RIM, but a partnership might be more palatable for a company like Microsoft as it would carry less risks.

So what do you think? Should Microsoft take a risk on RIM or avoid them at all costs?

Nokia’s future has been murky ever since the Finland-based company announced their partnership with Microsoft. Skepticism over the partnership ran rampant as Nokia’s stock hit rock bottom while the pundits had a field day with the risky move, but the company’s switch from Symbian to the Windows Phone OS could finally be paying off with the release of the Nokia Lumia 900.

At one time, Nokia dominated the mobile market, but all that changed once Apple and Google entered the fray. Nokia’s failure is largely due to the company lagging behind in both innovation and design as they failed to adapt and foresee the eventual changes to the mobile experience. The introduction of the iPhone revolutionized the smartphone market, and Android made smartphones accessible for a wide range of users and manufacturers with their open-source OS.

It’s been a slow and steady climb, but Nokia has battled through all the adversity, and they’re poised to reclaim some of the mobile market share they once owned. For those of you skeptical of Nokia’s potential turnaround, you need not look any further than the impending release of the Nokia Lumia 900, as anticipation is at a fever pitch for Nokia’s flagship smartphone—pre-orders for the phone are surging and, at one point, it even made its way to the No. 1 position on AT&T’s Amazon Wireless best seller chart. Its success or failure could have a lasting impact on Nokia as they look toward making a dent in the pivotal US market.

Quoting Town Hall Investment’s research analyst, Jamie Townsend, Eric Savitz of Forbes writes about some of the positive signs and reasons for hope in Nokia and their future.

“Our renewed enthusiasm is primarily driven by Nokia’s smartphone business and our belief that long term the company is now poised to slowly reestablish itself as a meaningful player in smartphone markets around the world,” Townsend writes in a research note. “While we believe that Q1 and Q2 2012 will continue to show the struggle between the death of Symbian and the rise of WP7, we also believe the pieces are now in place for a gradual reversal in the market share losses experienced in the last three years. Specifically, we are expecting positive unit surprises in the U.S. and Western Europe over the next two quarters, albeit coming off a very low base and expectations.”

The company still has a number of hurdles to overcome if they want to break off a significant piece of Android and Apple’s dominant share, but even the company’s harshest critics will soon have to recognize that the Nokia-Microsoft partnership may not be the colossal failure they predicted it to be.

Whether or not you think I’m overstating the importance of this release, Nokia must not squander this opportunity as the impression they make with the release of their flagship phone could change the way consumers, investors and possibly even skeptics look at both the company and Windows Phone OS.

A Google Nexus Tablet is rumored  to release at some point later this year, and PocketNow  has gotten their hands on a purported rendering of Google’s first foray into the tablet world.

ASUS is reportedly the manufacturer behind the tablet, but Cory Gunther over at Android Community has pointed out that the tablet rendering shares many similarities with the Toshiba Tegra 3 tablet previewed at CES.

A few signs point to these renderings being fake—similarities to the aforementioned Toshiba tablet, lack of Google Play (although these could have easily been rendered before the rebranding), addition of expandable storage not previously offered in Nexus products, and design differences between this and ASUS’s MeMO tablet.

Regardless, whether or not this is real or fake, production is expected to begin this month, and Google’s I/O conference on June 27th should unveil a lot more about their highly anticipated tablet.

[via PocketNow]

One of Nokia’s former R&D senior graphic designers released these concept images of a potential redesign of the Windows Phone user interface. While the designs are purportedly personal mockups done by said designer that never got any sort of endorsement from Nokia, they certainly catch the eye and bring a very unique look to the mobile experience.

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