SECURITY AT YOUR FINGERTIPS

AS THE WORLD BECOMES MORE MOBILE, SMARTPHONES ARE BECOMING INCREASINGLY VITAL NOT ONLY IN THE WAY WE COMMUNICATE BUT ALSO IN THE WAY WE DO BUSINESS. AS SUCH, THEY BECOME REPOSITORIES FOR VALUABLE DATA THAT CAN BE TARGETED BY HACKERS AND MALWARE. SECURITY CORRESPONDENT DANIEL BARDSLEY SPEAKS TO INDUSTRY EXPERTS ON HOW TO KEEP MOBILE SECURITY THREATS AT BAY.

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Today, the unveiling of a new smartphone model does not quite generate the buzz that it did a few years ago, yet manufacturers are still putting new devices onto the market at a brisk pace.

Earlier this year, we have been treated to the launch of Android mobiles including the foldable Samsung Galaxy Z Flip and Huawei P40, with the Asus Zenfone 7 and the OnePlus 8, to name but a few still to come.

For those with a few dirhams to spend on a top-of-the-range new mobile, times are still good, but many consumers and employees will, instead, stick with more modest devices, some dating back several years.

A recent survey shows how many mobile users may face cybersecurity risks as a consequence. Data from the consumer organisation Which? indicates that hundreds of millions of Android phones may no longer be receiving security updates, increasing their risk of falling victim to attackers.

Which? quotes Android’s own information suggesting that last year there were no security patches released for devices using Android 6.0 or earlier operating systems.

Given that about 42 per cent of Android mobiles fall into this category, that works out at more than one billion devices not being updated.

Among the malware they could be vulnerable to are BlueFrag, which uses up data and spreads further malware, as well as Joker, which can result in additional charges on a user’s bill, and Stagefright, which can give ransomware hackers control over a device.

Given the scale of the threat, Which? says device manufacturers and Google should level with consumers as to how long updates will be available for and what they should do when they are no longer issued.