Android Lollipop with the default encryption? not quite – eGospodarka

A few months ago, Google announced that the device equipped with the latest version of Android (5.0 Lollipop) will be enabled by default full disk encryption. Today, we know that the promise was only partially realized.

Google wygłosiło the following statement:

For more than three years Android proposed encryption, where the keys were kept away from the device. As part of the next version of encryption will be available immediately after removing it from the box, so you will not have to think about it, to further configure security.

The news of the “domyślności encryption” has been confirmed on the Google Android team blog in October last year:

Still safer than the first inclusion. People use digital safes and locks to protect their physical goods. For digital information secure encryption acts as a protection against theft and espionage. That’s why we work hard to ensure that these additional safeguards for users who will run immediately after switching on the system Lollipop, without the need for additional configuration. Full encryption device starts with the start-up, using a unique key that never leaves the device.

It turns out, however, that not all devices will have the default Lollipop encryption. While your own device Google – Nexus Nexus 6 and 9 actually possess them, older devices that have been updated to version Lollipop, are not so lucky.

In addition, the latest devices from other manufacturers (such as Moto E second generation Galaxy S6 E demonstrated at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona) are also not encrypted by default.

The discrepancy between what Google claimed last year and what at the moment is seen on devices with Android Lollipop, explain OEM guidelines . They state that only devices that fulfill the conditions set Google will be able to take full advantage of the system Lollipop:

If the device lock screen is implemented, the equipment MUST support the full encryption of private data stored in applications ( / data partition) in the device memory or to an SD card, if they are an integral, non-removable part of the device. For devices that support full data encryption, full data encryption SHOULD BE running as soon as you start the machine. For the current version of the system, we assume that SHOULD use this practice, recommending her respect, expecting that in future versions of Android there is NECESSITY its application.

In other words, the manufacturer still has a choice whether now turn the whole disk encryption or not. Performance issues may mean that some third-party devices are not yet encrypted by default.

So, if you want to encrypt their Android device, you will need to enable this option. However, if you have an older version of Android you should invest in a good anti-virus scanner for mobile devices.

Finally, is fighting between security and performance. Full disk encryption can have too much impact on performance, so Google fearing resistance from both customers and manufacturers – introduced optional encryption. At least for now.