Android is the operating system with the most vulnerabilities in 2019
The trend is nonetheless, declining, and according to Google, it is about the fact that the open nature of the operating system works as expected.
A new report compiled by TheBestVPN – taking NIST’s National Vulnerability Database data as a source – indicates that the Android operating system was the platform affected by the greatest number of security vulnerabilities in 2019.
The robot operating system is at the top of the ranking compiled by TheBestVPN with 414 vulnerabilities, followed at a not so wide distance by Debian Linux with 360 vulnerabilities. Third and fourth places equal Windows Server 2016 and Windows 10 with 357 vulnerabilities.
Android appears to be channeled into a downward trend: in 2017, 843 vulnerabilities were discovered, while the previous year 525. In general, since its appearance in the technological landscape, Android has seen 2563 vulnerabilities.
According to TheBestVPN, the cause is not attributable to Android itself, but to the number of apps pre-installed on Android devices and, which often have high-level permissions, thus being able to access resources that should remain protected.
In a statement to FastCompany, a Google spokesman said: ” We are committed to transparency and public release of security bulletins every month on issues that have been resolved in Android to strengthen ecosystem security. We do not agree with the principle that measures the number of security issues identified in any operating system and indicates the security of the platform. This is the result of the fact that opening up the Android ecosystem is working as expected. ”
Are these numbers that should worry you? We believe not, as long as you rely on common-sense measures: always download apps from trusted sources, be careful when surfing the net, avoid opening dubious links or attachments even if arriving from known contacts, and always keep your device updated. In this regard, it is good to move, when purchasing a new smartphone, towards a solution that guarantees the regular release of security updates.
Other significant data from TheBestVPN reports? The highest single product vulnerability per year is 1197. It affects Debian Linux in 2018, while in the span of 20 years, from 1999 to 2019, the vendor with the most vulnerabilities detected is Microsoft, with 6814 cases with an average of 12.9 vulnerabilities per product. In media terms, Linux takes the throne, with an average of 139.4 vulnerabilities per product.
