One of the common questions we have in the current era is this, which one is more secure in terms of cybersecurity? IOS or Android?

Well, the answer for many people will be, iOS. Since that’s the perception we built on Apple devices. But surprisingly, it’s not as simple as that. This debate has been happening for a very long time, but the fact of the matter is, there is no one absolute answer. Both have their pros and cons.

Search around the web and you will find various answers to the question, leaning towards iOS more but some solid argument for Android as well.

So, let me compile what I have read and summarized it.

IOS

Well, iOS, as many of you might know, is a closed-source operating system, means that Apple owns the right on how the system behaves, and what the security looks like. This is good in the sense that normal people can’t simply mess around with the system which will jeopardize the security.

However, since it is a closed-source system, it means the flexibility is limited. Now don’t underestimate the power of flexibility as, if one knows how to really take full advantage over it, can write their own defense systems to protect the device.

iOS Apps

Same goes to the App as well. Now everyone knows that the only place to download an app for the Apple device will be from the App Store. Unless one jailbreak their device, there is no other simple way one can download third-party apps into their system. This will allow Apple to have full control over what apps go into their devices, and for sure security screening will be one of the processes they carry out for the app.

iOS Hardware

Hardware wise, same as the OS and Apps, the design and stuff are controlled by Apple, which therefore means that Apple will cater their OS and App regulation to make sure that they are in sync with the hardware. This will ensure that their security is at the optimal level.

Another strong point of iOS is that they have few devices on the market. This might sound illogical but it’s actually one of the deciding factors why hackers prefer to go for the android device than Apple device. The market is full of android-run devices compared to iOS-run devices, which make Android a more attractive target since the hacker will only need to crack one device and they will have access to many more.

Android

Android, on the other hand, is a more interesting OS to play with. If one knows how to fully utilize it’s potential, it will become one of the most secured devices one can own. But the catch, one must know how to handle this Pegasus.

Android is an open-source operating system, so technically everyone can take the raw format of this OS and customized it to their own liking (a huge amount of programming skills is required of course, including Android development skill). Although Android belongs to Google, Google didn’t “seal” it like how Apple did to iOS. What this means is that anyone can do their own tricks to customized Android to their own liking. That also explains why two devices that run on Android might have a totally different function and interface.

This actually exposes Android device to threats. Why? Since Android is an open-source OS, with the right knowledge, one can tinkle with the OS. It’s nice, it’s fun, but one loophole and it will result in a security breach.

Android Apps

Same goes to the app part. It is way easier to download a third-party app on Android compared to iOS. This means that one can download an apk file from an unknown website and install it on their mobile device. Once again, good flexibility, but dangerous act because those apps did not go through security screening.

Android Hardware

Due to the reason that there are so many devices using Android, each company will need to make sure that they tune Android to match the hardware they designed. Like Samsung for example, they have Knox that helps to make sure that the booting process is more secured by preventing unauthorized software from loading.

So to put it his way, one will require a high level of knowledge on android to make a secure device. The advantage will be high flexibility for Android user.

Phishing and Social engineering

No matter what device you are using, iOS, Android, Windows or your own customized OS, none of this will be able to escape from phishing and social engineering. It all comes down to human and culture. If one knows how to protect themselves, they will for sure be secure regardless of what OS they are using.

Simple advice

It’s easy. Always update to the latest version of iOS or Android, and always install the app only from the authorized App store or Play store. I mean, there are already so many apps there, what’s the point of risking yourself to download those third-party apps?

If you would like to learn the knowledge of how to protect your android devices, there are courses that focus on android security where you will learn the top 10 OWASP mobile security issues and many more.