Google could do more to protect Android users from malware, says AVG

Change publishing conditions, scan new data packages, suggests Krčma

There are "lots of things Google could do" to protect users of the Android platform from malware infection via the company's Play Store, says cyber security firm AVG's virus lab head, Pavel Krčma.

"They could start scans of new packages that are uploaded to Google Store for threats, which wouldn't be that complicated for Google," Krčma told Computing during a visit to the company's Brno, Czech Republic labs.

Krčma also said Google should impose tougher conditions on developers looking to publish packages - containing apps, games and media material - to the store.

Krčma and his team are concerned that, as adoption of Android reaches critical mass among device owners, Google's OS is becoming irresistibly lucrative for malware creators looking to steal data or abuse holes in the platform to hijack text messaging or even voice calls for their own ends.

"It's very easy to write malware for Android, because you don't need any special tools; everything is free.

"And there are proofs of concept that already exist, so all you need is just to learn how to write software on Android, and there's plenty of public books and stuff, so it's a very low [barrier to entry]. You don't need to put much effort into entering this area."