Samsung to build Lookout into KNOX protection
Samsung signs up Lookout Mobile Security to strengthen its Knox enterprise security system.
If your business uses Samsung's Knox to protect phones and tablets, Lookout's mobile security app will soon help lock down your digital fort.
Lookout CEO and co-founder John Hering announced the partnership on Wednesday.
"Already more than 50 percent of the Fortune 1000 companies have employees using Lookout to protect their phones," he said. The deal with Samsung coincides with the planned business edition of Lookout.
Knox bolsters device security in three areas: a customizable secure boot that allows for aftermarket root certificates and prevents unauthorized apps from being installed; a TrustZone-based Integrity Measurement Architecture system for monitoring Android's Linux kernel; and a custom secure kernel with built-in access controls.
Lookout will supply Knox with deeper post-boot protections, including app scanning, privacy scanning, and Web site scanning, but not the full Lookout suite. People who want to get all the Lookout features will be able to, assuming their employers allow them to upgrade. Lookout will be included on Knox devices as Samsung ships them in the coming months.
Either way, the partnership with Samsung is likely to be a big win for Lookout, which has 45 million global users so far, according to one study.