Qualcomm to Offer Malware Detection Inside Snapdragon 820 Processor

Qualcomm has announced the upcoming availability of Snapdragon Smart Protect which will first made available through the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor. Snapdragon Smart Protect uses cognitive computing to provide 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 utilizes 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.  

The threat protection ability is facilitated by Qualcomm’s ability to access lower layers of the software stack and dedicated security hardware, to create a device-based, behavioral analysis approach for mobile security. 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.

Qualcomm 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.