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| Photo: t3.com.au |
With almost everybody holding an android powered smartphone these days, and everything getting logged onto that one device, it becomes critical to understand how safe is it to let open everything that you have to this smartphone. It is stated that almost every other smartphone run on the android operating system consists of a flaw which gives hackers the chance to get access to every application that the user has installed on his device. Going by the statistics, if this is to be deemed of complete truth, more than 900 million handheld devices are at a very high risk globally.
Information through Bluebox Security
This information on the serious flaw coming with each android phone was brought to notice by the Technical Director of a security firm, Bluebox Security, Mr. Jeff Forristal. He further mentioned that if this is what he is seeing, it could almost give rise to a catastrophe. His statement claims that any hacker who’d want to get access to every sort of data on a user’s device, he would just need the installation of the “Trojan Horse” type malicious software and thats it. That would be enough to leave everything on the user's handheld open for the hacker’s access.
To make it easier to comprehend, the hacker has the supreme power to get every sort of information he wants out of an infected device. The hacker holds the ability to capture all the data on the user’s mobile which most likely has sensitive data. This could include pictures, private SMS, emailers, passwords to various IDs and other identification papers amongst other important things. The news is creepier for people who access their bank accounts on the internet through their smartphone.
Since the hole in the system flings open the access to the phone completely, even your transactions can be read and thus rendering your password and account unsafe too. The worst is.. Google does recognize the loophole! So its not something that you can dismiss as another rumour against Google’s strong operating system to pull its fan following down.
Technically Speaking….
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| Photo: zdnet.com |
If you are trying to figure out how this whole phishing act takes place, lets explain you how. Every app is coded to run on the android operating system. Once a hacker realises he needs to break into the system of a smartphone and installs the virus, the flaw in the security system allows a certain change in the code of the app without causing any change to the cryptographic signature. Since the signature remains unaltered, the application still reads as authentic irrespective of the fact that it has been changed and modified by an external agent.
Progress in solving the issue and Precautions
The flaw had been brought into the notice of Google in the month of February this year. The vulnerability issue is supposed to hit devices that run on the version 1.6 or superlative. Post research and development on the same, it is confirmed that Samsung’s Galaxy S4 is the only mobile device as of yet that is free from the malware. Thus it clearly indicates that progress is being made in the right direction. Yet still, until something stringent is accommodated by the company, most companies advice android users to update their OS regularly and to only download the mobile apps that they are absolutely sure of.
About The Author:
Adam Prattler is a corporate gifting consultant who works with 001flowerflower.com to come up with gifting schemes for employees in Hong Kong. His keen interest in technology is evident from his thorough posts on various technology issues.
