Android's Malware Woes: Can BB Win Over CIOs Again?

It was towards the end of 2008 when the first Android-based smartphone was sold. And since then, the chubby green bot has never looked back. Within a span of four years, the Linux-based OS dominates the mobile market with an astonishing 75 percent share. An open source backbone, impressive touch UI, and low cost are the factors that entice consumers and manufacturers alike. But this popularity comes with a price. According to Kaspersky Security Bulletin 2012, malicious Android programs detected in 2012 were about six times more than those in 2011. That’s also about five times more than all the malicious Android programs seen since 2005 altogether. There is cause for greater concern for the Indian CIOs, considering the fact that India stands at number three when it comes to malicious apps downloaded. The TrendLabs 2012 Mobile Threat and Security Roundup says that as the popularity of Android continues to grow, so will the number of threats its users face. So much so that the volume of malicious and high-risk Android apps will reach 1 million in 2013, with new delivery methods, combined mobile-desktop threats, more sophisticated malwares, and newer targets.
This does open up opportunities for alternative platforms. With security being at the eye of this storm BlackBerry, considered to be a more secure platform, stands a good chance of leading the pack of possible alternatives. And the security features in its latest BES 10 release and Z10 only go on to make its case stronger. But, there are distinctly varied views around whether BlackBerry stands a chance to cash in on this available opportunity.

The fortunes of Android and BlackBerry will depend a lot on the turn and shape that the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) landscape will take. Ravishankar Subramanium, Director-IT Advisory at KPMG believes that the rise of malwares happened in case of Windows also but that didn’t stop the Microsoft flagship product to reach enterprise doors. “I think Android will continue to be the favourite despite all these malware issues because of the kind of flexibility it offers at such price points,” says Subramanium. He further adds that the entire concept of BYOD is about choice that an employee makes not what the enterprise prefers and in such a scenario, employees will prefer Android devices.
On the other hand, many believe there are some critical applications which enterprises can’t risk at all and Android is not the answer in such cases. The open nature of the operating system, the ease with which apps can be created and the wide variety of (unofficial) application markets have combined to shed a negative spotlight on the security framework of the Android platform. Sanjay Katkar, CTO at QuickHeal says, “Android can be first choice for end users. But before deploying any MDM solution, enterprises will look into players with a proven track record for security.”

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Is BYOD the ground that BlackBerry can easily tread? So, let’s look at what BlackBerry has to offer. Since its inception, BlackBerry has been synonymous with security – especially in the enterprise space. And with its new enterprise mobility management solution – BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 (BES10), it not only manages BlackBerry devices, but also other popular platforms - including Android and iOS.
While CIOs grapple with different mobile devices and OS as part of their BYOD initiatives, the different apps that employees use quietly make their way in as a threat. Enterprises today need solutions not only to manage the different devices logging into their network, but also want the same solutions to manage the different apps that the users might have in their devices. Looking at the Android app store in this regard, the maximum malware sits in the app store itself, posing a huge threat to the corporate network as current MDM solutions might look into user data but cannot control what apps the users are downloading. Talking about BlackBerry’s ability to answer this dilemma, Sunil Lalwani, Director-Enterprise Sales, BlackBerry says “The way market has evolved in the past couple of years; a corporate app store is becoming mandatory for any enterprise where the IT team can approve what all apps to have and what not to have. BlackBerry can help enterprises develop their own app store, and incorporating it with BB10 can ensure enterprises that it’s not only devices that are being taken care of but also the applications employees are using from corporate network.” Lalwani further adds that the BES10 is designed to manage any device irrespective of the OS and make. BES10 is the only solution that caters to both mobile data management and mobile application management. Also, the latest BlackBerry devices based on BB10 platform have in-built partitioning, based right at the core of the OS, for personal and work usage, making its case on the security front stronger than before.

As the debate rages on between an individual’s choice of a mobile platform and the enterprise’s choice for the same user as its employee, the real winner will be a right blend of functionality and security at the right price point. An ideal, that both Android and BlackBerry platforms are yet to achieve.