Google prepping improved Verify Apps feature to beef up Android security

Heads up, Android users, because your little green robot is about to get quite a bit more secure.

A new report from Computerworld  has revealed that Google is planning to roll out an update to Google Play Services in the coming weeks that will beef up Android's Verify Apps feature. Verify Apps originally debuted with Android 4.2 in 2012 as a feature that checks new apps as they're installed to ensure that they don't contain any malicious code or other nastiness. Last year, Google rolled its Verify Apps feature out to all Android devices running version 2.3 and up.

Now Google has whipped up an expanded version of Verify Apps that will continue to check on apps even after they've been installed to a user's device. Android Lead Security Engineer Adrian Ludwig explains that this will be helpful as Google continues to gain more knowledge about the threats that are out there. He also says that the updated version of Verify Apps will come in handy for tracking apps that were installed before Verify Apps came to be as well as those apps that are put onto a device without the user's knowledge.

Google has long been working to protect Android users from malicious apps, introducing features like Bouncer, which debuted in 2012 to help keep the Play Store free of software that do harm to a user's device. This updated version of Verify Apps is another step in Google's security efforts, and it's good to see the company actively working to protect its users.

As I mentioned before, the updated version of Google Play Services is expected to start rolling out in the coming weeks. It'll silently hit all devices running Android 2.3 and higher, so if you count yourself as part of that group, just sit back and revel in the fact that you and your Android will soon enjoy increased protection from the baddies of the app world.

Via ComputerWorld