Android 12 is coming closer round the bend everyday, which gives us the perfect time to discuss it's security features. Namely, the Privacy Dashboard, and some protection for the clipboard.
Privacy maintenance has become of paramount importance in the online user space. What with hackers and the like running unabashed on platforms online or otherwise, this much makes perfect sense. The likes of phishing attacks and encounters with malware are becoming almost commonplace, and thus cybersecurity is the current hot topic for tech brands of all sorts.
Let's take the example of Apple, shall we? With the introduction of iOS 14, the tech company introduced a Tracking and Transparency feature. Now, users can very easily stop sharing their personal information with other applications, while also noting the exact sort of information these apps siphon off in the first place. No longer are security threats for the sake of targeted advertisements a concern for the Apple userbase.
Jumping off from that, Android 12's clipboard protection works in a slightly similar manner. The clipboard is a part of a device's keyboard that automatically stores whatever information and/or link a user has copied from somewhere, and wishes to paste elsewhere. How can this be a security threat? Well, many applications and online websites often take liberty with a user's clipboard, as a matter of convenience.
Often copying relevant information directly, a user can then directly paste it without copying. However, there's a catch with this. And that is that if users have copied some sensitive information, these platforms can also then access that very content as they please. The Android 12 update attempts to stopper such behavior by dropping prompts whenever a platform attempts to do such. Ultimately, a user now has autonomy on sharing clipboard access.
The other interface update in Android 12 is the Security Dashboard. Users can access this in order to pull up information relating to camera, microphone, and device location usage. The Dashboard highlights which apps have access to the three, and when (if at all) any of them were utilized. If the camera or microphone is being used by an application, the Dashboard also gives off a warning prompt, allowing users to shut the app's usage down if need be. It's also interesting to note that Google's own applications will also be allegedly subject to the Security Dashboard's watchful eye and prompts.
Sources: 1 / 2 / 3.
Read next: Google Boasts 3 Billion Active Android Devices Around Globally
Privacy maintenance has become of paramount importance in the online user space. What with hackers and the like running unabashed on platforms online or otherwise, this much makes perfect sense. The likes of phishing attacks and encounters with malware are becoming almost commonplace, and thus cybersecurity is the current hot topic for tech brands of all sorts.
Let's take the example of Apple, shall we? With the introduction of iOS 14, the tech company introduced a Tracking and Transparency feature. Now, users can very easily stop sharing their personal information with other applications, while also noting the exact sort of information these apps siphon off in the first place. No longer are security threats for the sake of targeted advertisements a concern for the Apple userbase.
Jumping off from that, Android 12's clipboard protection works in a slightly similar manner. The clipboard is a part of a device's keyboard that automatically stores whatever information and/or link a user has copied from somewhere, and wishes to paste elsewhere. How can this be a security threat? Well, many applications and online websites often take liberty with a user's clipboard, as a matter of convenience.
Often copying relevant information directly, a user can then directly paste it without copying. However, there's a catch with this. And that is that if users have copied some sensitive information, these platforms can also then access that very content as they please. The Android 12 update attempts to stopper such behavior by dropping prompts whenever a platform attempts to do such. Ultimately, a user now has autonomy on sharing clipboard access.
The other interface update in Android 12 is the Security Dashboard. Users can access this in order to pull up information relating to camera, microphone, and device location usage. The Dashboard highlights which apps have access to the three, and when (if at all) any of them were utilized. If the camera or microphone is being used by an application, the Dashboard also gives off a warning prompt, allowing users to shut the app's usage down if need be. It's also interesting to note that Google's own applications will also be allegedly subject to the Security Dashboard's watchful eye and prompts.
Read next: Google Boasts 3 Billion Active Android Devices Around Globally
