Page 621 - (ISC)² CISSP Certified Information Systems Security Professional Official Study Guide

notebook computers as well as the transfer of files, documents, music,
video, and so on.

Additionally, mobile devices aren’t immune to eavesdropping. With

the right type of sophisticated equipment, most mobile phone
conversations can be tapped into—not to mention the fact that anyone
within 15 feet can hear you talking. Be careful what you discuss over a
mobile phone, especially when you’re in a public place.

A wide range of security features are available on mobile devices.
However, support for a feature isn’t the same thing as having a feature
properly configured and enabled. A security benefit is gained only

when the security function is in force. Be sure to check that all desired
security features are operating as expected on your device.

Android

Android is a mobile device OS based on Linux, which was acquired
by Google in 2005. In 2008, the first devices hosting Android were

made available to the public. The Android source code is made
open source through the Apache license, but most devices also
include proprietary software. Although it’s mostly intended for use
on phones and tablets, Android is being used on a wide range of
devices, including televisions, game consoles, digital cameras,
microwaves, watches, e-readers, cordless phones, and ski goggles.

The use of Android in phones and tablets allows for a wide range of

user customization: you can install both Google Play Store apps as
well as apps from unknown external sources (such as Amazon’s
App Store), and many devices support the replacement of the
default version of Android with a customized or alternate version.
However, when Android is used on other devices, it can be

implemented as something closer to a static system.
Whether static or not, Android has numerous security

vulnerabilities. These include exposure to malicious apps, running
scripts from malicious websites, and allowing insecure data
transmissions. Android devices can often be rooted (breaking their
security and access limitations) in order to grant the user full root-