Google has announced plans to ban installation of apps from unverified developers on certified Android devices. “Starting next year, Android will require verified developers to register their apps for installation on certified Android devices“, Google Vice President Susan Frey said in a statement.
According to her, hackers are posing as developers, creating “trusted“ apps to steal users' financial data and carry out other attacks. “Our analysis showed that malware is 50 times more common in third-party resources on the web than among apps on Google Play“, Frey wrote.
She noted that developers will still be able to distribute their apps through third-party resources and app stores.