Android manufacturers refuse to implement encryption … – Hipertextual

Most iOS devices come with encryption of all its contents by default. Apple forces users to set an initial password to unlock the iPhone every time you start, and password used to decrypt the content.

With Android, from the current M version, full encryption is available, but it is only present in only 2% of the 1,400 million total devices in use with Google Play access to which should be added approximately 500 million extra in China who do not have Google Play installed. Worse, most manufacturers update their terminals Android M disable encryption by default due to the loss sustained performance by smartphones and tablets to encrypt and decrypt all data in real time while the user is on your terminal. Because of this, Google removed the mandatory encryption by default, simply leaving it in a “strong recommendation” to manufacturers.

The full encryption dominates iOS but Android is relegated to specific terminals as the Nexus 6P, while manufacturers refuse to implement

what is this loss of performance should? in our analysis of the Nexus 6P, one of the Android terminals with full encryption, specify that the terminal “flying” in performance. It is a great smartphone with excellent performance despite having encryption enabled, but it is true that with encryption disabled Nexus 6P go even faster in the routine of everyday life.

Issue it’s complicated. The Linux kernel, which uses Android, lets you work with extensions encryption ARM architecture used by most smartphones, but only with version 8. Other terminals using version 7, as the Nexus 6, 2014 suffer much in performance with encryption enabled . Being a high-end terminal, without microSD cards, makes clear the problems that suffer a mid-range terminal using microSD cards to store key applications.

microSD cards have a read speeds and writing much lower than the main memory . In addition to many terminals with Android have main memory 16 or 32 GB, but with a much lower performance, make full encryption degrade performance even further, so manufacturers refuse to activate default users .

The decline in performance is remarkable with encryption turned on Nexus 6.Anandtech.

2016 will be key. Android M increasing its market share and new chips settling in the middle and upper ranges, see how full encryption on Android comes true. Upcoming versions of Android, as the next Android N, improve performance and support full encryption, Google is committed to make it happen. But unfortunately many devices, the almost absolute majority, remain without this option, and many of those will be sold in the coming year low and mid-range.

That said, have secure communications does not require “necessarily “full disk encryption. Signal applications like Tor to mask or part thereof, but will be exposed in certain cases if someone has physical access to the device.