BlackBerry released its first Android-powered device, the Priv, last year, with which it became an Android OEM. Also it has been releasing timely Android security updates for the past few months, complying with the commitment it made to its customers. Praising itself in a blog post, the Canadian firm noted that it has done a commendable job of timely vulnerability patching.
First with monthly security updates
“BlackBerry is the first OEM to deliver patches in line with Google’s public disclosure, closing the window of vulnerability exposure to customers. Other mobile device vendors can take weeks, months or even years to deliver security patches, leaving you and your business at risk,” BlackBerry said in a blog post.
Google and many of its partner OEMs decided to provide monthly updates after the discovery of the Stagefright vulnerability last year. For a long time, Android devices have been plagued with malware and vulnerabilities, and for this reason, releasing timely security updates is a must.
For the past four months, Google has been releasing the updates, and there’s just one OEM that releases the updates on time. BlackBerry has always used security as a premise for selling its devices, and for this reason, the Canadian smartphone maker has paid attention to rolling out the latest security updates for the Priv on time.
BlackBerry – undisputed leader in mobile privacy and security
Every month, Google releases a list of security vulnerabilities on Android, and it is the obligation of the OEMs to release the patches on time to lower the exploitation risks. BlackBerry even shared a table that details the patching efficiency of different Android OEMs and the amount of time each OEM takes for the actual patching exercise after the release of the list. BlackBerry secured the top position on the list for being the first to deliver patches in line with Google’s public disclosure, while the others did it after a gap of a few weeks or months even.
“BlackBerry’s steadfast commitment to timely security updates is just one of the many reasons why BlackBerry continues to be the undisputed leader in mobile privacy and security,” the Canadian firm said in its blog post.
Other OEMs too have been committed to maintaining security sophistication. The search giant patches its own Nexus devices, and in addition, it releases patches to AOSP to make sure other partners are able to roll out updates to their devices. Samsung too announced plans to release updates alongside other OEMs such as LG and Motorola.
