On Mon, 26 Sep 2011 10:45:07 -0700
Subbu Srinivasan wrote:

> Forget Android security.
> 
> Today in server - foolishly people assume firewalls, DB cannot be hacked
> etc. But this is a fallacy.

There are ancient OpenBSD firewalls (non-ipv6) still running without any
known remote exploits. I guess you meant the services behind them.
Cisco, forget it though Cisco's can be very fast.

It is far easier to prevent remote exploits than local ones, OTOH your
multiplying attack surface but maybe, if your clever, reducing the
window by adding a server, or if your dumb like Blackberry conducting
priviledge and risk amalgamation at the server.

> In Android, you can put it in sqllite, but that data is persisted somewhere
> in disk unencrypted. AFAIK Android does not encrypt anything on flash(unlike
> iOS) . So anyone who
> roots the device gets full access.

Well if someone has root or physical access then the IOS encryption is
almost certainly a false sense of security, in many ways. Of course it
might stop the local thief in his tracks, but I doubt he'd even look
at anything more than media files.

The idea of priv seperation per app is debateably! more appropriate and
useful, especially as the bugs are found and the architecture fixed
becoming more solid. Fairplay to Google and Open Source, priviledge
seperation is often overlooked.

The ssh keys on my mobile have very limited server access (chrooted
sftp access to certain files). Thinking about it, I could add some
sanitisation there, it's never ending and so easy to forget something in
security, you just hope your ahead of the game.

At the end of the day what data are you willing to put in a device that
is 'expected' against security best-practice to be always connected
and maybe has apps installed willy nilly. That certainly doesn't mean I
agree with Google's boss that only criminals want to hide e.g. their
browsing habits, how about an innovator who wants to keep a low profile
and doesn't want a big company to notice them, hack in and come out with
some highly marketed inferior product, likely reducing future
innovation in that market. 80% of companies report IPR theft online.

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