A week in security: Google Android security concerns

Google has come under fire yet again this week

This week in the security space has been dominated by new security concerns over Google Android apps.

The web giant was forced to respond to allegations made in a report from mobile security firm SMobile Systems that one in five applications available for Android handsets could expose user data to third-party hackers.

The report said that the openness of the Android Market benefits developers but may present enterprise users with problems if they download a vulnerable application.

Google said in its defence that it controls what applications are made available, but said nothing about the accusations concerning spyware. And in an apparently unrelated incident, the company revealed that it has remotely removed two suspect applications from Android users' devices.

Rich Cannings, Android security lead, said in a blog post that the remote application removal feature is "one of many security controls" the firm has in its arsenal to protect Android users from malicious applications.

Also this week, security researchers warned of a rapidly growing number of web sites infected by the Asprox spam botnet. Asprox is capable of launching SQL injection attacks, and has more than doubled its appearance on application service provider (ASP) sites from 5,000 to 11,000 overnight, according to M86 Security.

On the other side of the fence, the Metropolitan Police has arrested two London youths for their alleged roles in an international cyber crime forum. The teenagers were picked up on suspicion of encouraging or assisting crime, unauthorised access under the Computer Misuse Act and conspiracy to commit fraud.

The arrests were made with the aid of the Police Central e-Crime Unit (PCeU).

Finally, the chief executive of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (Icann) has asked for greater co-operation between international internet bodies to ensure the safety and stability of the Domain Name System (DNS).

Rod Beckstrom argued at the opening session of the organisation's 38th international meeting in Brussels that Icann "cannot resolve these issues alone ".