Google Vows To Provide Monthly Security Updates For Nexus Devices Following Stagefright Scare
Not long after Samsung announced that it would roll out security updates to Galaxy devices on a monthly basis, Google stood up and said, "Hey, great idea, we're going to do that with Nexus hardware!" That's not a verbatim quote, mind you, but it's the gist of what Google announced only hours after Samsung in regards to making Android a more secure platform on select devices.
Google's announcement is sort of an extension of an existing security practice. For the past three years, Google has been notifying Android device makers of security issues on a monthly basis through bulletins. After being notified, It was then up to the manufacturers to implement fixes and dole them out -- a sometimes tricky process when you have to deal with custom ROMs and wireless carriers.
Going forward, Google will provide owners of Nexus hardware with monthly security patches.
"Nexus devices have always been among the first Android devices to receive platform and security updates. From this week on, Nexus devices will receive regular OTA updates each month focused on security, in addition to the usual platform updates," Google stated in a blog post.
Google rolled out its first update yesterday to Nexus 4, Nexus 5, Nexus 6, Nexus 7, Nexus 9, Nexus 10, and Nexus Player devices. It contained fixes for issues in bulletins that were provided to Google's hardware partners up through July 2015, including fixes for StageFright.
That's really what prompted this increased focus on Android security as of late. The StageFright MMS exploit, discovered in July, is particularly scary because it affects nearly all Android devices and can be triggered with a simple text message. If the attack is successful, a hacker can take full control of a smartphone.
Google's announcement is sort of an extension of an existing security practice. For the past three years, Google has been notifying Android device makers of security issues on a monthly basis through bulletins. After being notified, It was then up to the manufacturers to implement fixes and dole them out -- a sometimes tricky process when you have to deal with custom ROMs and wireless carriers.
Going forward, Google will provide owners of Nexus hardware with monthly security patches.
"Nexus devices have always been among the first Android devices to receive platform and security updates. From this week on, Nexus devices will receive regular OTA updates each month focused on security, in addition to the usual platform updates," Google stated in a blog post.
Google rolled out its first update yesterday to Nexus 4, Nexus 5, Nexus 6, Nexus 7, Nexus 9, Nexus 10, and Nexus Player devices. It contained fixes for issues in bulletins that were provided to Google's hardware partners up through July 2015, including fixes for StageFright.
That's really what prompted this increased focus on Android security as of late. The StageFright MMS exploit, discovered in July, is particularly scary because it affects nearly all Android devices and can be triggered with a simple text message. If the attack is successful, a hacker can take full control of a smartphone.
