One of the Outlook problems reported to Microsoft help desk recently related to the lack of data protection features in the Outlook webmail app for Android. It was the tech security firm Include Security, who first reported this issue. The company highlighted that Microsoft has not put in place any strong security options in Outlook’s Android app for protecting user data.
About the Outlook problems mentioned in the Include Security report
Include Security, like many other tech security firms out there, research on popular applications and operating systems in order to find out security flaws in it. This helps them to design better security solutions. As a part of their research on the Outlook Android app, they realized that Outlook webmail app for Android leaves user data unprotected against hackers.
The two things that protect Outlook data in an Android device include the inbuilt security feature of the device and the security measures of the Outlook app. The Pincode feature in the Android OS is something we all use to lock our smartphone, but not many users are aware of the same feature in Outlook app.
However, according to the Include Security report, both these Pincode security functions only lock the graphical user interface. This means that if you have any Outlook files stored in the micro SD card in your smartphone, they can be easily accessed by removing it from your phone. As you can see, the Pincode security feature can be easily bypassed when the micro SD card is inserted in a PC.
Researchers at Include Security point out that the main shortfall in the Outlook app for Android is lack of an encryption feature. In addition, even if an Outlook user wants to use the Pincode feature in the app, it has to be enabled first. In response to these reports, Microsoft issued a clarification note stating that the Outlook app relies on the security features of the operating system. In other words, there is no encryption option in the Outlook app.
So, if a user wants to protect his Outlook data stored in the smartphone by encrypting it, he can either use the options offered by the device platform, or use an external encryption application for this purpose. It is also a smart idea to keep all your Outlook data stored in the smartphone’s internal memory and not on the external micro SD card.
About the Outlook problems mentioned in the Include Security report
Include Security, like many other tech security firms out there, research on popular applications and operating systems in order to find out security flaws in it. This helps them to design better security solutions. As a part of their research on the Outlook Android app, they realized that Outlook webmail app for Android leaves user data unprotected against hackers.
The two things that protect Outlook data in an Android device include the inbuilt security feature of the device and the security measures of the Outlook app. The Pincode feature in the Android OS is something we all use to lock our smartphone, but not many users are aware of the same feature in Outlook app.
However, according to the Include Security report, both these Pincode security functions only lock the graphical user interface. This means that if you have any Outlook files stored in the micro SD card in your smartphone, they can be easily accessed by removing it from your phone. As you can see, the Pincode security feature can be easily bypassed when the micro SD card is inserted in a PC.
Researchers at Include Security point out that the main shortfall in the Outlook app for Android is lack of an encryption feature. In addition, even if an Outlook user wants to use the Pincode feature in the app, it has to be enabled first. In response to these reports, Microsoft issued a clarification note stating that the Outlook app relies on the security features of the operating system. In other words, there is no encryption option in the Outlook app.
So, if a user wants to protect his Outlook data stored in the smartphone by encrypting it, he can either use the options offered by the device platform, or use an external encryption application for this purpose. It is also a smart idea to keep all your Outlook data stored in the smartphone’s internal memory and not on the external micro SD card.
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