Google partners with the CSA of Singapore to enhance Android users’ protection from scams

Google Singapore has announced a partnership with the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA), where Google is launching a new enhanced protection feature within Google Play Protect to help safeguard mobile users against malware-enabled scams, by blocking the installation of potentially-risky sideloaded apps.

According to a recent Google Singapore 2024 scams survey, despite Singaporeans expressing confidence in spotting scams and avoiding them, 1 in 2 online users in Singapore still fall victim to online scams. With mobile phones increasingly being used for digital and financial transactions, users around the world are experiencing more financial fraud. Even our own teammate was not spared in this agony, as shared here.

Cybercriminals are using social engineering tactics to deceive mobile users into disabling security safeguards and to ignore proactive warnings for potential malware, scams, and phishing under false pretences. All too often this results in users downloading malicious apps from online sources like web browsers, messaging apps or file managers – also known as Internet sideloading – and disclosing sensitive personal information or transferring funds to a scammer.

To combat these attacks, Google has introduced a number of security enhancements to Android like Google Play Protect, which automatically scans all of the apps on Android phones and works to prevent the installation of harmful apps and uses machine learning to adapt and improve. 

Today, as part of an enhancement to Google Play Protect, Google Singapore and CSA has announced a new fraud protection feature to provide Android users in Singapore with an additional layer of protection. 

With this enhancement, when a user attempts to install a potentially risky app - from an internet-sideloading source such as web browsers, messaging apps or file managers - that uses sensitive runtime permissions frequently abused for financial fraud, Google Play Protect will automatically block the installation with an explanation to the user.

When asked if there were plans to roll this out to other geographies, Eugene Liderman, Director of Android Security Strategy at Google said, “We are constantly improving our protections to keep Android users around the world safe. Together with CSA, we will be closely monitoring the results of the pilot program to assess its impact and make adjustments as needed. We are open to expanding the pilot to other countries in the future if we see similar interest and user protection needs.”

He added:

Singapore is the first country to pilot this feature due to our existing ongoing partnership with CSA. Our partnership focuses on developing a long-term strategy to shield Android users in Singapore from scams and fraud.  Given the rise in financial fraud cases within the past year and the widespread use of Android phones in Singapore, this enhanced security feature will offer vital protection to many mobile users.

We also asked if Google Pixel 8 smartphones would be the first to receive the enhanced security and got told that this update will progressively roll out on all Android devices with Google Play Services in Singapore.

Google would start the rollout with a small population of Android users in Singapore in the next few weeks to assess its impact and make adjustments as needed before expanding to a larger user base. Like previous enhancements in Google Play Protect, this feature will be automatically activated on Android devices.

This new development alone won't prevent you from being scammed of your precious savings, but it is one more wall for deterrence. The final onus is upon you, as a user, to be more mindful of how you manage your personal credentials as well as keeping close tabs on your financial transactions.

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