[Verizon Galaxy Note 4 General] dominick_7:
How is what I asked crap and not valid? You're putting something on the device that is not from the company, that is not really approved of or are supported by the companies that make the device, that has been through legal battles with respect to warranty issues on to your device and it's obvious news that even made mainstream with respect to spying and security. As others noted it intrusively tries to get tons of your information in the permissions, it has cameras and microphones on it, a GPS and even has a fingerprint reader for petes sakes right on it. Is this how you'd want someone to answer your questions? This thread is about the Developer Edition of the Note 4. The question is about whether to get the Developer Edition of the Note 4 as to whether it and rooting it are secure.

---------- Post added at 01:41 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:22 PM ----------

While I'm absolutely baffled why I don't see this question more given the Snowden revelations, I appreciate your response, it's one of the more helpful ones I've seen. Isn't it true with the root exposed not only can the user really screw up the device to the point of bricking it, but in the same respect a third party could do damage in other ways which is by contrast more protected from, in some senses, with a locked phone? That's the attractive part, that they take out the big brotherish intrusive permissions, the bloatware that weighs down your device and tries control/nickle and dime you (like making it so you might have to pay monthly just to tether), so in that respect I'm on the same page. But say you trust XDA because as you noted they use their own ROMs and seem against big brother by allowing everyone the opportunity to regain more control over their device (good and persuasive arguments btw), but what about other people with their custom ROMs and or other exploits? If I knew these people personally, their character and could judge whether or not to trust them, that's one thing, but I don't know any of the programmers and engineers. Just feels more like trusting complete strangers with my personal information or trusting them with a more exposed phone. Guess I'm looking for both assurance and facts to support how it's either more secure or at very least not less secure than a retail phone.

---------- Post added at 02:28 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:41 PM ----------

I'd take it when you say "everything is relative" you mean that as an objective fact and not something relative, but apart from that, no it's not a situation where I'm technologically retarded and am just considered a god because everyone else around me is a sub human species and I know how to push the buttons on the smartphone haha. At least I'd hope not.. Not really sure if I know how to answer that, but I'm doing some IT for a business, can set up a network, can do some cmd work, can pass FIOS/cable installation tests if I bothered to learn the formal designations of each tool and cable name and can figure out things without needing to call 3rd level tech support on a good amount of things if that means anything. Basically I love tech, have a pretty good to ok practical understanding of tech without any formal training.

That part I get, as that's what is alluring about rooting. But while you get more control in that respect, exposing root allows for more manipulation on your part as well as from others. If I knew code I guess I could look through it to see if there's anything suspicious, but I don't unfortunately. Think what you're saying addresses how you can control permissions and things on a more visual obvious manner after rooting is done, but what I'm wondering about is more so related to embedded, injected and hidden potentially malicious intrusion from within the flashing/exploit process and/or inside the rom itself.