Android vs iOS Security: A Comparative Study

The massive adoption of mobile devices by individuals as well as by organizations has brought forth many security concerns. Their significant abilities have resulted in their permeating use while correspondingly increasing their attractiveness as targets for cybercriminals. Consequently, mobile device vendors have increasingly focused on security in their design efforts. However, present security features might still be insufficient to protect users´ assets. In this paper, factors that influence security within the two leading mobile platforms, Android and iOS, are presented and examined to promote discussion while studying them under one umbrella. We consider various factors that influence security on both platforms, such as application provenance, application permissions, application isolation, and encryption mechanisms.