Kaspersky claims app stores will be filtered by security firms

SECURITY OUTFIT Kaspersky has said it expects app stores will have anti-virus and anti-malware filtering in the future.

David Emm, senior security researcher at Kaspersky told The INQUIRER that while malware levels on Google's Android operating system are currently far lower than on Microsoft's Windows operating system, "it will get bigger". He cited the lack of "eat as much as you like" mobile connectivity as a reason why malware has remained a relatively muted threat on smartphones.

Google's Android operating system allows users to easily download applications from third party app stores, which Emm said can increase the threat of malware. He pointed out that users should be more vigilant as they have to agree to download the applications in the first place, however he didn't go far as to say that a walled garden approach is the solution either.

Apple's IOS uses such a walled garden approach where users cannot install any application that isn't on the App Store without rooting the device. Emm claims that rooting is a "double edged sword", in that whatever malware does get onto the system has root access to the device, essentially giving it free rein over the device.

Interestingly Emm said that jailbreaking IOS made it harder to get an accurate picture of malware on IOS devices because they are not supported by Apple.

Instead Emm said "it is possible to have security without walled gardens" and suggested that in the future app stores will be filtered by security vendors. "Scanning app stores is certainly possible," said Emm, adding that Kaspersky is not doing that for Apple or Google at the moment.

Ultimately Emm's comments show that users need to assume some level of responsibility for their devices. After all, smartphones now hold some critical private data such as that used for online banking. While Emm concedes that the flexibility of open app stores increases the risk of attacks by malware, it looks like third party app store vendors might look towards security vendors to ensure and promote the integrity of their wares. µ