Comparing the Top 4 Operating Systems for BYOD Security

People live almost exclusively on their mobile devices; whether it’s for work or for personal use, we are constantly accessing information that is private and it would do significant damage to us or our employer if that information was lost or stolen.

Android, Apple iOS, BlackBerry and Windows Phone make up nearly 100 percent of the mobile operation systems market, but what is the difference between them. Not all OSs are created equal and there are some major differences among the four of them. Whether you’re choosing a new OS or you just want to know where your current one stands, Zagg.com released a blog detail the pros and cons of each OS from the most secure to the least secure.

BlackBerry comes out on top. Its Pros include, secure cloud storage, secure identity when traveling abroad; makes secure phone calls and sends highly encrypted text messages; browses the  web through anonymous VPN; different logins for different applications within device which are all permission based; remote wipe function; spidercloak – secure cloud backup; KISMET- Wi-Fi manager which disconnects apps from Wi-Fi; Disconnect secure wireless- VPN that prevents wireless eavesdropping; You can choose to block all the applications which are accessing the Wi-Fi data, as that compromises your personal data.

BlackBerry Cons are few and they include, low availability, not compatible with Verizon and Sprint (50% of the market) and not DLNA compatible – can be difficult sharing basic files and content among devices.

Apple iOS comes in second with Pros that include, focus on security for applications as well as software; security vulnerabilities are patched in a matter of 24 hours; apps only distributed through iPhone App Store and no Apple corporate access to consumer devices.

Some of Apple’s cons are, outdated iPhones are incompatible with recent software updates and jailbreakers are much more vulnerable to malware and hackers.

Android comes in third. The Pros for Android are, Android hardware makers such as Samsung also have customized versions of Android running on its hardware with advanced security measures such as the Samsung Knox mobile security; Knox Security Platform – platform relies on virtualization that creates a full separation of work and personal data on mobile devices; sandboxed application architecture where the data in an enterprise app cannot be compromised by another app. iOS is the most tightly sandboxed; sandbox is the separation of Applications. One cannot damage the other or the host phone; Android is community driven which is both positive and negative in different ways.

Cons for Android include, more than one app store which gives them less control over the available apps for users to download; 98.1% of all mobile malware detected in 2013 targeted Android devices. Some mobile VPN solutions, such as Cloak, aren’t available for Android. Then again, some Find My iPhone alternatives such as Theftie are only available for Android, and not for iOS or Windows OS.

Windows Phone OS brings up the rear in fourth. It’s Pros include, supports fewer MDM policies – third party vendors have less control over the OS; steep possibilities and potential based on foundation in place; system components prohibit apps from loading when tampered by malicious user or code; Multi-Factor Authentication- security that requires user authentication from at least two of three person identification measures.

Cons for Windows Phone include, extremely low market share (3.4%); doesn’t support high level regulatory/security requirements, specifically the amount of SMS malware found on Windows Mobile devices is much higher in comparison to others.

Knowing the pros and cons of each OS will help you chose the one that is right for your enterprise or to know the weaknesses of the OS you are already using and implement the right precautions against possible holes.