Here is the news that left all of us wondered as more than a billion Android devices are at risk of being hacked because they are no longer to be protected by security updates. These vulnerabilities could lead users around the world exposed to the danger of data theft, ransom demands, and other malware attacks.
If anyone using an android phone released in 2012 or earlier should be especially a matter of concern for all.As well as the tech giant has not responded to BBC requests for comment. This is one of the dangerous problems but Google has not responded yet.
Google’s own data suggests that 42.1% of Android users worldwide are on version 6.0 of its operating system or below. According to the Android bulletin as there were no security patches issued for the Android system in 2019 for version below 7.0
Everyone is now calling for greater transparency around the extent of security support and claims the industry must do a better job of guiding customers once security updates have dried up.
“It’s actually seemed to be very concerning those expensive Android devices have such a short shelf life before they lose security support of leaving millions of users at risk of serious consequences,” said Kate Computing Editor.
“Most importantly Google and other phone manufacturers will have to be more concerned about security updates with clear information about this and how long they will last as well as what customers should do when they run out of this.”
The UK government recently took some steps to improve security measures of different android devices and these steps are very important too.
There are new rules that stipulate manufacturers of IoT (Internet of things) devices must provide a point that shows the contact for vulnerability reports and also explicitly state the minimum length time a device will receive security updates.
Google and Apple are two of the world’s two most popular mobile operating systems, Android and iOS also release new versions of their software after a short period of time as it is followed by smaller as well as periodical updates for several years it takes to fix any further issues found within them.
The Government must also push ahead with planned legislation to ensure manufacturers are far more transparent about security updates for smart devices and their impact on consumers.”
The Government has previously announced plans for making new laws that will force manufacturers to improve the security of internet-connected gadgets, including giving a minimum time for which the device will take for security updates.
Google spokesman said: “We’re dedicated to improving security for Android devices every day in this modern era.
“We provide security updates with bug fixes as well as other protections every month and continually work with hardware and carrier partners for further improvement as well as to ensure that Android users will have a fast, safe experience of their devices.”
Here are very few steps that are very important to follow if you are using an older version of android.
- If your Android device is more than two years old then you have to check whether it can be updated to a newer version of the operating system. If you are on an earlier version than Android 7.0 Nougat, try to update via Settings> System>Advanced System update
- If you can’t update, your phone could be at risk of being attacked or hacked especially if you are using a version of Android 4 or lower. In this case, we have to be very careful about downloading apps outside the Google Play store
- Also, be wary of suspicious SMS or MMS messages
- Back up your data in at least two different places minimum.
- Install a mobile anti-virus application, but keep in mind that the choice is limited for older phones.
I am very confident that this information would be very helpful for you and be aware if you are using an older version of Android or IOS device.
