Google is working on uplifting the security update system for Android. The search giant has started working with third-party manufacturers and phone carriers to improve the speed of security updates and make the open source platform safer and more secure.
Almost half of Android users do not receive important security updates. Google pushed updates to 735 million devices last year, but half of them did not receive the patch from device manufacturers. Therefore, the company is aiming to push the updates in few days from release by working with carriers and manufacturers.
“We provided monthly security updates for all supported Pixel and Nexus devices throughout 2016, and we are thrilled to see our partners invest significantly in regular updates as well. There is still a lot of room for improvement, however,” Google’s Android security team, comprises of Adrian Ludwig and Mel Miller, writes in a blog post.
Complex process
Pushing the updates to Android devices — expect Nexus and Pixel range — is a complex process. Device manufacturers and carriers have to compile the patch to match the device requirements. Most often they do not help the visibility into a specific status of the vulnerability.
Google’s move of working with manufacturers and carriers to restructure the updates release system can certainly speed up the delivery schedule of security updates for Android. However, it is impossible to enable the protection for all over 1.4 billion Android users worldwide.
