Google beefs up security for Android OS but only 4% of users can get it

Right now, there's only a small percentage of Android users who are running the latest (and most secure) operating system for their phones and tablets. And it's not their fault, actually. The problem lies with the developers of the OS, and the manufacturers and carriers of Android devices.

According to a recent report by Google, around 70% of Android devices are running versions of KitKat that go as far back as KitKat 4.4. And that's critical because KitKat happens to be the last version of the operating system that Google still develops security updates for.

What's shocking is that only 4.6% of Android users are using Android 6 Marshmallow, which is the only operating system that currently offers full-disk encryption and special app permissions that allow users to determine what information is shared with each app they download.

At first, that might not sound all that alarming. But when you compare that to Apple - Android's largest competitor - 84% of Apple users have upgraded to the most current version of iOS 9.

The problem is that there are so many versions of Android's operating systems out there, and that manufacturers and carriers of Android devices are able to choose which of those versions they'd like to develop their products around. In most cases, these manufacturers and carriers move on from other versions of the OS, and discontinue sending regular security patches to end users of the devices.

If you have the most current version of Android 6 Marshmallow, getting the latest security patch should be easy. The latest changes should be pushed out to you during the regular updates provided by your carrier. But, if you don't have the most recent version of Marshmallow, you'll need to take alternative steps for securing your device. Read this article to learn six ways to secure your smartphone or tablet.

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Source: Google beefs up security for Android OS but only 4% of users can get it