Singapore – Google has rolled out an enhanced real-time scanning feature for its malware protection and detection service, Play Protect, to detect potentially harmful apps during installs.
In this new update, Google Play Protect will recommend a real-time app scan when installing apps that have never been scanned before to help detect emerging threats.
The real-time scanning at the code level will combat novel malicious apps. Through this new scanning feature, Google will be able to extract important signals from the app and send them to the Play Protect backend infrastructure for a code-level evaluation.
After a real-time analysis, users will get a result prompting them if the app looks safe to install or if it is potentially harmful. This will help better protect users against malicious polymorphic apps that leverage various methods, such as AI, to be altered to avoid detection.
Google’s security protections and machine learning algorithms learn from all apps submitted to the company for review. With this, the company can identify thousands of signals and compare app behaviours.
The enhanced feature adds to the already multi-layered defence approach present in Android, which keeps users safe from mobile malware and unwanted software with its built-in proactive and advanced user protections like Google Play Protect, ongoing security updates, app permission controls, safe browsing, and more.
Google Play Protect has started to roll out to all Android devices with Google Play services in select countries, starting with India, and will expand to all regions in the coming months.