Your Android phone’s security is getting strengthened at the firmware level

An Android smartphone is based on several components. These components include the hardware as well as software for the device. In comparison, the operating system of a smartphone is considered safer than a desktop counterpart. Since mobile OS is more focused on security and control over apps. Yet, the firmware combines all the hardware and makes your Android smartphone function properly.

Besides such tight protocols, there is still some room left for the attackers. They mess with the hardware settings of a smartphone and adjust them in accordance with their requirements. In order to deal with it, Google is going to introduce some robust security improvements at the firmware level. These security improvements will be introduced for all Android smartphones.

The company declared in its official blog post that it is working to tighten the security of Android smartphones. The security enhancements will be applicable on the firmware level. The latest procedure has been termed Firmware Hardening. It has been named by the Android security team. It suggests that such tightened security will help to combat the manipulation of bugs, exploits, and remote hijacking.

The company mentioned that it is seeking help from compiler-based sanitizers like BoundSan and IntSan. In addition to this, some mitigation products like  CFI, kCFI, Shadow Call Stack, and Stack Canaries are also considered. Such products will work to increase the security of an Android smartphone. Besides this, the company has claimed that it will add some additional memory safety features. Auto-initialize Memory is one such example.

Another interesting fact pointed out by the company is that Firmware Hardening needs to be in equilibrium with the smartphone in order to avoid performance issues. Do note that such modifications that will enhance the security of your smartphone are introduced at the hardware front and not the software end.