How Samsung protects your smartphone from cyberattacks

Samsung Galaxy smartphones have become the center of our work, life and play. For many, turning to our laptops, wallets and even home locks has become the only item we carry out of the house.

Today we are becoming more and more aware of the threats posed by hackers to our laptops and computers in general, and we should also recognize that smartphones are also vulnerable to cyber talks.

Hackers go where people are and now it is on mobile devices. That is why being safe is not so important and we are constantly innovating to protect you and your data from emerging threats. Billions of smartphones worldwide are loaded with sensitive personal and business data, offering hackers endless opportunities to steal and sell personal information.

In fact, cybersecurity firm IronNet reported a 168% increase in cyber attacks between May 2020 and May 2021, with attacks on smartphones becoming one of the largest cybersecurity threats in the Asia Pacific region.

Samsung is committed to keeping users safe and secure, with Samsung Knox providing complete protection throughout the life cycle of your device.

In this article, we will explore five potential cyber-attack scenarios that can occur when the security of your device is compromised – and explain how Samsung Knox protects you from these threats with everything in line with our ethos of placing security at the heart of every decision we make.

What are the five potential cyber-attack scenarios that occur

• Unauthorized backdoor access
• Compromised, weak, or re-used passwords
• Free Wi-Fi may not be so free after all
• Phishing attacks compromise sensitive data  
• Zero-day vulnerability

1. Unauthorized backdoor access

Outside of Samsung, developers create software ‘backdoors’ for apps and mobile OSes so that they can easily access them for troubleshooting purposes. However, hackers can detect these backdoors, which usually bypasses any or all cyber security measures on the device.

To prevent unauthorized access from the backdoor, do not download unofficial or unauthorized apps. Downloading software other than the software originally installed by the manufacturer to gain full access to the device’s operating system may also introduce malware or spyware that could lead to unauthorized backdoor access.

How Samsung Protects You From This Threat

At Samsung, the design, manufacture and certify every computer chip, every wiring and every hardware component before using it to build your smart devices in the most secure factories around the world.

This chip-up approach gives us control over design, manufacture and assembly, ensuring a secure supply chain that prevents unauthorized backdoor access to our devices – resulting in a complete product that our customers can fully trust.

2. Compromised, weak or reused passwords

As consumers continue to create new accounts for digital services, from telehealth services to new ride-hailing and e-commerce platforms, they offer more opportunities for hackers to exploit.

An August 2021 survey by IBM found that 86% of consumers in the Asia-Pacific region agree that they can reuse the same credentials in multiple online accounts. This is a bad data privacy habit – hackers can infect the entire Internet footprint of just one attack user.

How Samsung Protects You From This Threat

Samsung devices feature advanced biometric authentication technology, such as ultrasonic fingerprinting, to protect access to your data even if your device is stolen or stolen. This biometric authentication tool, called Samsung Pass, allows users to easily access log-in credentials without having to memorize countless usernames and passwords!

To take data security to the next level, we have also equipped our devices with Knox Vault‌, a secure processor that works regardless of the core CPU. Knox Vault securely separates your biometric data from the rest of your phone so that no one can access your data.

3. Free Wi-Fi may not be so free after all

Free Wi-Fi hotspot is a boon for everyone who needs internet on their mobile devices for work or play. However, public Wi-Fi services allow hackers to steal data because the data you send over the web – such as credit card information for online purchases – might first pass through the hands of a hacker via a public Wi-Fi network.

How Samsung Protects You From This Threat

For daily browsing, Secure Wi-Fi encrypts outgoing Internet traffic and disables tracking apps and websites. This allows you to safely browse the Internet over a public wireless connection without fear of security breaches.

4. Phishing attacks compromising sensitive data

Phishing is a type of attack in which cybercriminals trick people into providing sensitive information on their devices or installing them as malware, links, attachments, or legitimate apps.

Once hackers have access to your sensitive information, they can use it to demand ransom from you, steal your personal information, commit other misdeeds, or make purchases with your credit card information.

How Samsung Protects You From This Threat?

Device Care in Samsung DeviceCare constantly scans your device for malware or suspicious activity and alerts you by detection through McAfee Protection when you accidentally install malicious apps. Additionally, Samsung Secure folder protects data and separates problematic apps in folders to keep apps away from users’ personal information.

At the same time, when you make purchases with Samsung Pay on your mobile device, your card information is encrypted and completely isolated to keep it secure at all times.

5. Zero-day vulnerability

Because hackers and cyber-attackers are constantly trying to hack devices, they are always on the lookout for zero-day vulnerabilities. The zero-day vulnerability is found on a system or device but has not yet been patched. This is very dangerous because cybercriminals can target flaws in the system before developers or the public know about its existence.

How Samsung Protects You From This Threat?

Samsung Knox provides real-time protection, always actively protecting your device from data attacks or malware. This means that unauthorized attempts to access or modify your phone core will be blocked in real-time.

When users reboot their Samsung smartphone, a secure boot is activated to detect any unauthorized software and to prevent attempts to compromise the device through multi-layered, defense-grade protection. If the smartphone boots in a rejected state, Samsung Knox will automatically lock apps that contain sensitive data such as Samsung Pay, Samsung Pass, Secure Folder, or Samsung Health.

Looking for a more secure future

Samsung smartphones have become an important part of our digital life, whether at home, in the classroom or even in the office. As new cyber-threat vectors continue to put us at risk, we need to be vigilant and play an active role in keeping ourselves and our loved ones safe in this digital world.

Security does not stop at Samsung smartphones, as Knox protection extends to smart devices in the Samsung portfolio, for added security. Whether you are mirroring the video you are watching on your Galaxy device with the SmartView app on your Family Hub screen or mirroring the AI ​​function in your AI EcoBubble Washing, it means that your Samsung smart devices are safe and secure.

As a Samsung user, you can be assured that you have a digital partner who is committed to world-class security and privacy standards – keeping you safe while you work, study and play.