What you should know
– Google Play Protect scans apps before installation but still allows malware to be installed on Android phones
– New onboarding UI for the Play Store will ask users to verify their identity and payment method
– Android users can require verification for all purchases using fingerprint or facial recognition
– Google Play Protect can scan apps on the phone for malware and stop installation if detected
Full Story
Google Play Protect is designed to scan apps before installing them on your phone, but a recent report from cybersecurity firm Kaspersky revealed that 600 million apps with malware were installed on Android phones this year. This raises concerns about the effectiveness of Google’s scanning. For example, a user named Andy, impressed by an ad, installs a video editing app from the Google Play Store. Later, the app’s developer pushes out an update that secretly steals passwords, leading to unauthorized withdrawals from Andy’s bank account. To address this issue, Google is working on a new security feature for the Play Store that would require users to verify their identity and payment method for in-app purchases. This aims to prevent accidental installations of expensive or malware-loaded apps. Additionally, Android users will have the option to require verification for all purchases using biometric authentication such as fingerprint or facial recognition, and Google Play Protect can scan for malware on the phone. Until these security improvements are officially implemented, users can opt to require authentication for all Play Store purchases and rely on Google Play Protect to scan for malware on their devices.
