Android 8.0 Oreo New Security Features and Fixes

Android 8.0 Oreo is the latest Android version and, logically, the most complex one. Google came with plenty of improvements and new features. Most articles have already covered these additions and you probably know everything that Android Oreo brings. However, not many have talked about the security enhancements of this Android version. And they are really important and powerful enough to protect your Android devices.

Enhanced security for all users

“With Android O, Google introduces a major re-architect of the Android OS framework. There are some big changes that will impact users, developers and device manufacturers for years to come.” said Kyle Lady, senior research and development engineer at Duo Security.

The latest Android does manage to bring some new security measures such as device permissions, Verified Boot, System Alerts and Project Treble. All these make sure that your device is safe and sound, and that is vital nowadays when threats are present everywhere and users can be easily targeted.

Project Treble

When it comes to the security of your Android device, Project Treble plays a big role since it allows components manufacturers and OEMs to send Android updates easier than before. “Project Treble is part of a long term strategy that is going to help out all the Android OS stakeholders well past this latest OS release,” declared Andrew Blaich, a security researcher at Lookout.

Segmented Android

It is easier to protect something when it is divided into smaller sections, and Google used this logic. “Attack surface reduction means several different things. How do we make sure an application can only do what it is intended to do? How do we minimize the surface that is exposed? How do we contain processes within Android and follow the principle of least privilege?” said Nick Kralevich, head of Android platform security at Google