Comparative analysis of Android and iOS from security viewpoint

Abstract Smartphone usage has increased exponentially in the recent years. Android and iOS are the most popular smartphone platforms, while the ease of use along with the computational power to handle a wide array of applications attracts millions of users worldwide, also raises the security concerns on these platforms. This paper presents a comparative analysis between Android and iOS on a wide range of security aspects. It analyzes data for the period 2015-2019 and gives a detailed snapshot of not only the quantum of vulnerabilities, but also their impact. In addition, the paper leverages the well-established security triad i.e. CIA (Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability) to compare both the operating systems. The comprehensive and pragmatic approach taken in the paper makes it easier to infer that Android is more susceptible to security breaches and malware attacks as compared to iOS. Hence, researchers should divert their efforts and focus on finding solutions to problems pertaining to Android. The paper concludes by laying down future research directions and scope of work, which can be leveraged not only by application developers, but also by researchers. This will help make Android safer for users and will further increase its demand as a mobile operating system.

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