Google Makes ‘App Defense Alliance’ To Spot Malicious Apps Easily

Android has a major problem with malicious apps affecting user data every now and then. Every year Google takes various initiatives to combat it and to ensure the safety of its users.

The latest in the efforts by Google is the ‘App Defense Alliance‘ in which the search giant, for the first time, has sought help from third-party companies to make Android more secure.

Today, Google announced a partnership with mobile security monitoring companies ESET, Lookout and Zimperium to form, what it calls, the App Defense Alliance. The aim of the alliance is to stop malicious apps from reaching users’ devices.

Google says that it has picked the partners on the basis of their success in finding potential threats in Android apps and improving the Android ecosystem.

The trio specializes in mobile endpoint protection and each company uses a combination of machine learning tools and static/dynamic analysis to detect malicious apps.

With App Defense Alliance, Google will adopt a proactive approach towards harmful apps. While the Google Play Protect service scans apps installed on your device, the alliance will make sure that potentially harmful apps are spotted before they are published on the Play Store.

As a part of this collaboration, Google will integrate its Play Protect Detection system with partners’ scanning engines. This will create another monitoring system to spot and prevent harmful apps from being published on the Play Store.

This is the first time when Google is involving third-party companies in its app vetting process. It also shows that Google wants to make the Android ecosystem secure for its users.

What do you think about this alliance?

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