Google Launches Google Play, Cloud-Based Mobile Entertainment System

[engine]

Google Launches Google Play, Cloud-Based Mobile Entertainment System [googleblog.blogspot.com]

Today we’re eliminating all that hassle with Google Play, a digital entertainment destination where you can find, enjoy and share your favorite music, movies, books and apps on the web and on your Android phone or tablet. Google Play is entirely cloud-based so all your music, movies, books and apps are stored online, always available to you, and you never have to worry about losing them or moving them again.

Starting today, Android Market, Google Music and the Google eBookstore will become part of Google Play. On your Android phone or tablet, we’ll be upgrading the Android Market app to the Google Play Store app over the coming days. Your videos, books and music apps (in countries where they are available) will also be upgraded to Google Play Movies, Google Play Books and Google Play Music apps. The music, movies, books and apps you’ve purchased will continue to be available to you through Google Play—simply log in with your Google account like always.

[dstiles]

So that's ok, then. Lots of security there.

Amazon hosts so many bad bots and hackers it's unreal! Google cloud, with an even higher anonymity, is likely to be even more popular.

Security researchers say clouds will be the new high-profile target for second-rate exploiters - the top-rate ones seem to have a tight hold on ordinary servers...

"Blackhole Exploit Kit's Dominance On Infected Hosts Could Push Rivals To the Cloud"

And...

"Cloud Service Linode Hacked, Bitcoin Accounts Emptied"

G threats in just the past 30 days...

"Google Patches 14 Chrome Bugs"

"Google Fixes 13 Flaws in Chrome"

"Researchers to Detail WebKit Zero-Day on Android Phones"

"Google Bypassing Users Privacy Settings"

"Google Reacts to Google Wallet Security Issues"

"Researchers Discover Android Mobile Botnet 100k Strong"

"Attackers Using Fake Google Analytics Code to Redirect Users to Black Hole Exploit Kit"

Me, I'm keeping well away from both clouds and mobile devices. Nearest I'll get to mobile is a Linux laptop. With NO access to anything G.

[RonPK]

@dstiles How exactly do you think Google Play will be a playground for "bad bots and hackers"?

[dstiles]

Who uploads the files to the cloud? Does the uploader have adequate security to avoid their computer being taken over?

Doesn't matter if it's G doing the uploading or Dodgy Fred, somewhere along the line there WILL be a security breach and visitors will become compromised through it.

Also depends on the class of file - music, ebook etc. Most of the tools used to read files have been exploited at some time in the recent past and doubtless will be again. So: upload a virus disguised as an mpg and compromise (eg) android - both easily enough done: G has plenty of virused apps in its store, even after it's boasted cleanup.

I'm perhaps being a little unfair to the Cloud mechanism per se: the same scenario can be effected on other large-scale servers but I think Cloud will make it more attractive to hackers.

[JohnRoy]

Why Developers Should Worry About Google Play
[zdnet.com...]

As of today, Googles interface shows "PLAY (new)" to drive visitors/subscribers to themselves.

[phranque]

Google Play: the entertainment you love, anywhere you go.