With the development of new technologies, the threat of cyberattacks is becoming more frequent. In today’s era, you know that smartphones have an essential place in everyone’s life. On our smartphones, we often store passwords, bank account numbers, photos, and other important information, which can be stolen by cybercriminals during a security breach.
In order to secure your data and avoid these outcomes, selecting a reliable operating system for your mobile phone is the only solution. Currently, there are only two operating systems that are Android and iOS. To find the best one, first, know which one is better.
Android vs iOS:
Many people consider Apple’s iOS more secure than Android. Why is iOS more secure? The answer is simple. iOS is a closed system, meaning Apple’s developers do not reveal the source code to anyone. An iOS user cannot modify the source code by themselves, making it much more difficult for cybercriminals to find vulnerabilities in the system.
However, it is the opposite in the case of Android, as its operating system is an open-source code, implying that the owner can change the source code according to their need. But when the code is modified many times, it creates a weakness that causes the device’s security to be more vulnerable for hackers to attack.
Top 5 Facts why iOS is better:
Security of the data is what matters the most in today’s world. Having a smartphone that helps you secure your data is very important. This security feature is what makes iOS more secure than Android. Here, we will discuss the top five facts about why iOS is better than Android.
Market Share:
The major determiner of an operating system’s security is its market share. There is a reason behind this fact, as the attackers or hackers often try to attack a large platform. They do this, to impact more users in the best way they can. For instance, Microsoft’s Windows operating system occupies most of the personal computer market and is mostly targeted on a regular basis.
This applies to the Android and the iOS market as well. The Android operating system has the largest market share of 85% in the world, while iOS has only 15%. Due to its large market share, Android is the first target of all hackers and attackers.
Viruses and Malware:
Android is the biggest target of cybercriminals due to the market share that it has. Because of this, most viruses, malware, and hacks are developed specifically to target the Android operating system. The difference that both operating systems share might surprise you.
The data from a study done on operating systems reveals that almost all the malware (97%) was specifically created to attack Android OS. A tiny fraction of the malware created to target Nokia OS was around 3%. Less than 1% of malware was there to attack Apple’s iOS. Thus, it is clear that iOS is more secure than Android.
A Technique called Sandboxing:
iOS and Android are very different as they use distinct techniques for operating. Apple uses sandboxing. Sandboxing is a method in which every app has its enclosed space (sandbox) to run.
An app cannot interfere with or transfer data of any kind to any other app. In simple words, an app that is affected by malware or virus cannot attack other apps as it does not have access outside the sandbox.
In contrast, Android provides more flexibility and openness. This does have more benefits to the user and developer, but also makes the system more prone to cyberattacks. There is no question that Android users have more freedom, but this freedom is costing their cybersecurity.
A Savior App Review:
The other fact that affects the security is both platform’s stores. An app on the downloading store can contain some malware or virus, which can cause damage to the operating system. It is where the app review acts as a savior for iOS users.
There is no doubt that this could happen on either one of the platforms, but this is most likely to affect Android. It is because Apple wholly reviews the apps that are submitted to them. It makes smartphones more secure from malicious apps.
Google also does app reviews before publishing it, however, it is not as intense as Apple’s. It only takes a few hours for a developer to publish their app on the Google play store, while for the Apple store, it can take up to two weeks.
The Trustworthy Facial Recognition:
This feature is available on both platforms, however, Apple is at its best again, meaning Android somewhat falls behind. Even Though, Android was the first to achieve it but Apple was the one that perfected it to its finest.
While both Apple and Samsung have facial recognition as an in-built security system. But still, Samsung’s facial ID can be manipulated by the photo of the face. However, this is something that you do not have to worry about as a user of iOS.
The feature is named Face ID on iOS and recognizes the user even after wearing glasses or having grown a beard, making it more reliable. The system cannot be fooled easily. Whereas, this feature is not that impressive on Samsung.
Conclusion:
One thing that is now completely clear to you is that Apple’s iOS is more secure in comparison to Google’s Android. The difference between both platforms’ security is that one is open source code while the other is not. The changes made in the source code can affect your smartphone’s security.
A high market share makes Android the biggest target of cyber attacks. Other features such as sandboxing and Face ID make iOS more secure. In addition to this, Apple’s app review strategies are also helpful in breaking the cycle of malware or virus attacks.
An iPhone’s security compromises only when it is jailbroken. Jailbreaking is a process in which the restrictions placed by Apple are removed from the iPhone to install applications. It makes smartphones more prone to cyberattacks as the attackers have enough flexibility to access the phone.
Still, there are few chances of an iOS device getting hacked as there are enough walls to tackle these attacks. Now you know which operating system is more secure to save your data from being hacked.
