Some think that warnings regarding possible viruses are launched by security companies so that the sales of anti-virus software can reach new records. While in some cases that might be true, in other cases it’s not. So, if you want to find out how secure your portable device is you should definitely consider the reports of ESET. The researchers of this company spend every day examining the malware on the market so they know what they are talking about. According to their data, Android devices are most likely to become the home of malicious apps because the number of such software tools rapidly increases on a daily basis. The situation of Android devices has become so concerning that every individual who uses this platform should definitely consider investing in a mobile phone anti-virus. The question now is if the situation in the Android world is also valid in the case of iOS devices such as the iPad 3. Well, at least so far iOS devices have proven to be pretty good at not letting malware and other similar invaders illegally play with their resources. Devices like the iPad are better at keeping malware at bay because besides Apple-signed apps, all the other apps installed on an iPad are designed to not share the memory. That means each app you install on your iPad is forced to work in a special section, so potential malware has nowhere to go because it’s not allowed to leave the special section in which the app carrying it is allowed to work.
iPad 3 – How Secure Is It?
In other words, the iPad 3 is pretty good at making sure that malware doesn’t affect your daily activities. That’s not only because apps are not allowed to freely communicate between themselves but also because Apple carefully selects all the apps that are made available to the general public. Apple’s employees take the time to analyze each app that wants to become part of the App Store in order to make sure that its design doesn’t hide any harmful content. In addition, Apple is very interested in improving the security features of iOS devices every now and then. This interest has resulted in updates like the one making available on the iPad 3 enterprise-level security tools that allow among others, remote management and remote data wiping. You should also know that the moment you take your iPad out of its packaging you can rely on a certain set of security features to keep your device safe. Thos features include the device-level encryption ensured and the possibility to password-protect any file.
The previous details are all positive news but that doesn’t mean Apple never messed up. Proof is the location info scandal that was generated by the news that any iPad is designed to store location data regarding its users. Apple acknowledged the potential problems that could be caused by such a feature, so it didn’t hesitate and released an update. That update allows all iPad users to turn off tracking at any moment and in the same time makes sure that the location information stored by default is not as much.
iPads are also considered more secure because the apps designed to be used for various purposes are equipped with safety nets of their own. For instance, the virtualization apps compatible with iOS devices provide access to industrial-grade enterprise servers but once the connection is no longer of interest and is terminated they make sure that no trace data is left on the iPad. That means the sessions are untraceable. However, there are also weaknesses in the defense system of an iPad. One weakness is the Unique Device Identifier (UDID) that once discovered by a malicious third party can lead that third party to the identity of the iPad owner in question. Fortunately, specialists that have analyzed this problem make available instructions that if followed allow iPad owners to cut the cord between the UDID and the personal details to which it might be connected.
You should also know that by using jailbreak codes you risk weakening the defense system of any iPad. Jailbreaking is considered desirable because it gives iOS device owners the chance to run unapproved apps and play more closely with the system’s resources. At first that sounds good, but you should know that there isn’t anything stopping the jailbreak from also getting involved a malware payload that can seriously threaten the security of your iOS device.
iPad 3 – How Secure Is It?
Bottom line, the iPad 3 might be more secure but it’s not bullet-proof. That’s why you should still consider installing one of the anti-virus apps compatible with iOS. An example is VirusBarrier which scans every email attachment and file even if it comes from a cloud-based location. The only problem is that this app can’t scan on its own the files available on your iPad, so you will have to launch on-demand scans on your own every now and then. What you should also know is that the sandbox that keeps each app separate from the rest of the installed apps can at any time be broken, so never blindly trust an iPad or an iOS device.
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