Qualcomm Announces Snapdragon Smart Protect

by Edward Ramamoorthy · Published August 31, 2015 · Updated August 31, 2015

Tags: Mobile Security Qualcomm Security SmartProtect Snapdragon

Qualcomm Snapdragon

Today, Qualcomm announces Snapdragon Smart Protect, a new technology that will provide advanced protection against zero-day malware threats.

Qualcomm’s Smart Protect is a part of the Snapdragon processor solution available in Snapdragon 820 and future processors. It will complement signature-based anti-malware services, identifying new threats prior to signature updates. Smart Protect will monitor apps and services running to ensure that no malicious activity is occurring. The company will also provide APIs for anti-malware app providers to perform analysis.

Snapdragon Smart Protect is also the first application to utilize Qualcomm Zeroth technology, augmenting conventional anti-malware solutions by supporting on device real-time malware detection, classification and cause analysis using an advanced cognitive computing behavioral engine.

Qualcomm is working closely with OEMs and security companies including the likes of Avast, AVG and Lookout to ensure the new feature is compatible with existing commercial anti-malware solutions, enhancing said apps and harden the protection against potential attacks. Snapdragon Smart Protect is yet another feature added to Qualcomm’s Haven security suite.

Qualcomm is expected to launch Snapdragon Smart Protect in 2016 along with Snapdragon 820 processor.

Press Release

SAN DIEGO, Aug. 31, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM) today announced that its subsidiary, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. (QTI), is extending its mobile security technology leadership with the introduction of Qualcomm Snapdragon Smart Protect. The upcoming Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor is the first platform offering Snapdragon Smart Protect, providing real-time, on-device machine learning designed to support accurate and effective detection of zero-day malware threats for improved personal privacy and device security. Snapdragon Smart Protect is also the first application to utilize Qualcomm Zeroth technology, augmenting conventional anti-malware solutions by supporting on device real-time malware detection, classification and cause analysis using an advanced cognitive computing behavioral engine.Snapdragon Smart Protect complements existing signature-based anti-malware solutions by analyzing and identifying new threats prior to new signature updates. OEMs and mobile anti-malware application providers can also use Snapdragon Smart Protect API’s to perform valuable causal analysis, offering users and the mobile industry real-time information of identified threats.

“With consumers storing more personal information on their devices, data leakage incidents and malware are on the rise. Qualcomm Technologies is uniquely equipped to address these issues with our ability to access lower layers of the software stack and dedicated security hardware, to create a device-based, behavioral analysis approach for mobile security,” said Asaf Ashkenazi, director, product management, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. “Snapdragon Smart Protect supports deep on-device monitoring for nearly instantaneous notifications of detected privacy violations and malicious activity while also providing great system performance and battery life.”

QTI is working in close collaboration with OEMs and mobile security providers like Avast, AVG and Lookout to make Snapdragon Smart Protect capabilities available within commercial anti-malware apps. Using Snapdragon Smart Protect, OEMs and mobile security software vendors will be able to enhance their existing security products, and to differentiate and harden their solutions against potential attacks. Operators can reduce the burden of fraudulent charges and network congestion often associated with malware-infected devices, while consumers benefit from improved protection of personal data with minimal impact on device performance or battery life.

Snapdragon Smart Protect is a feature within the Qualcomm Haven security suite, which also offers Qualcomm SecureMSM technology, a hardware-based security protection technology designed to make Snapdragon processors resistant to targeted attacks. Qualcomm Haven also features Qualcomm Snapdragon Sense ID 3D fingerprint technology, Qualcomm Snapdragon StudioAccess content protection and Qualcomm SafeSwitch technology.

Snapdragon Smart Protect is expected be available in consumer devices in 2016, in conjunction with the Snapdragon 820 processor.