Google Introduces Adiantum Encryption for Low-Power Devices
Google rolls out Adiantum, a new encryption method designed to secure data on budget smartphones and other low-power devices that lack the hardware for standard encryption.
Google unveils Adiantum, a new form of encryption designed to secure data on lower-end smartphones and other devices that lack sufficient processing power. While Android requires storage encryption by default since version 6.0, an exemption exists for low-power devices because standard encryption methods severely degrade their performance.
Many budget devices running Android Go ship with 1GB of RAM or less and lack hardware support for the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES). Adiantum solves this problem by providing an efficient alternative that runs smoothly on devices without specialized cryptographic hardware, extending beyond cheap phones to include smartwatches and connected medical devices.
Available as an open-source project on GitHub, Adiantum aims to democratize encryption for all devices. Google emphasizes that users should not have to compromise their privacy and security for the sake of device performance, regardless of their phone's price tag.