Android phones missing security updates are safer than computers

An Android phone with a few missing security patches is still more secure on average than Windows PCs.


Android phones, which lack some security updates, are still more secure than PCs, according to security researcher Karsten Nohl after a study by the German security research firm Security Research Labs, which found that many of the brands manufactured for Android phones have been delayed Very much in delivering updates.

Karsten Nohl and Jakob Lell found that some manufacturers were lying to users about the latest security fixes on their devices. Researchers found that ZTE and TCL were the worst when it comes to security patches.

According to Karsten Nohl, author and co-author of the study, most of the missing patches are likely due to real difficulties in tracking all necessary patches in Android, Linux kernel, chips and device drivers.

In addition, SRL has updated its SnoopSnitch application to show the security patches installed on the phone, but regardless of the application, the question remains what consumers can do if they do not have the latest security updates.

Karsten Nohl explains that "missing security patches are not a cause for concern, because the penetration of Android requires a series of multiple loopholes, and if the security gap is too large, the user with security awareness may want to switch the device and get another one with security patches."

"We have not seen any major hacking attacks on Android, and we hope it will not happen at all. Each phone has a number of security barriers, and every security patch is missing on only one of them. The consumer can be relieved when an Android phone, A few missing security patches are still more secure on average than Windows PCs. "

The study also found that the implementation of remote software attacks that could threaten Android devices without user intervention is very difficult, and that is why cybercriminals continue to prefer social engineering to technical exploitation.

It should be noted that the sheer number of phone models means that it is not surprising that vendors struggle to maintain updates, so these numbers should be simplified as a prerequisite for providing security patches for all devices.

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