Android 5.0, codenamed ‘Lollipop’, begins shipping November 3. Most users are probably excited about the design and visible changes, but Google has been hard at work making changes and improvements behind the scenes. Most notably are improvements to overall security. In a blog post yesterday, Adrian Ludwig, Lead Security Engineer at Android, set out some of the key security enhancements in Lollipop.

Screen lock simplified

If you’ve simply given up using screen lock because you have to key in your pin or password dozens of times a day, Smart Lock is just for you. With Smart Lock on Android 5.0 you can unlock your phone with Bluetooth pairing, NFC or “simply your smile”. You will also have the ability to access certain notifications on the lock screen with no need to actually unlock your phone.

Encryption by default

Using encryption is a tried and tested way of keeping your digital information safe. On devices running Lollipop, encryption is a default right from the moment the device is switched on. “Full device encryption occurs at first boot, using a unique key that never leaves the device. This is the safest way to encrypt your device, which is why it’s how we’ve built encryption on Android since it first launched three years ago.”, says Ludwig.

Good news for enterprise customers too

Security Enhanced Linux (SELinux), first introduced last year, drives enforcement of the Android security model further into the core of the OS making it simpler to audit and monitor. With the release of Android 5.0, SELinux Enforcing is mandatory for all applications on all devices. Ludwig states that “Multiple vulnerabilities have been prevented since we first introduced SELinux last year; by strengthening it even more, Android becomes a top choice for enterprise customers that have really strict security standards, such as the government.”

He hinted at a number of other features added to Lollipop and called Lollipop “the sweetest update of Android to date”.

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