Samsung vows to strengthen its Galaxy smartphones' security by introducing monthly updates just like Apple. Prior to this, the company only rolled out quarterly security patches.
The unlock phones in the United States that will receive Samsung's monthly security updates include the Galaxy S7 series, Galaxy S6 series, Galaxy S5 series and Galaxy Note 5, among others, ZDNet listed. Some users, however, are skeptical over the tech giant's promise.
A disclaimer from Samsung stated that there will be instances when regular operating system upgrades "may cause delays to planned security updates," adding that the OS upgrades will still provide updated security patches when they finally roll out to phones. The company also stressed that "delivery time of security patches may vary depending on the regions and models."
Samsung may end up not delivering on their promise of monthly security updates. As of late, only Pixel and Nexus phones are some of the very few Android carriers that really commit to security updates every month. This month's Pixel and Nexus security patch prevents hackers from setting up a remote code execution done through emails, browsers and MMS media file.
Unlocked phones in the U.S. are the best recipients of security updates. It's because the handsets aren't held or being interfered by carriers.
Unlocked Samsung models with Snapdragon processors especially have it hard when receiving security updates. They only get them on a quarterly basis, and these phones are usually the last in the list to receive major software updates.
The Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge are finally receiving Android 7.0 Nougat. The Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge, on the other hand, are having a hard time receiving the OS due to the company's internal processes.
Samsung's monthly security updates for Galaxy phones come as their smart TVs got hit by hackers. A WikiLeaks allegation claimed that the TVs were hacked by the CIA and used them as covert listening devices. The hack even included a feature called "Fake Off" that continues to record voices even when the TV was off.
Hackers usually infect phones and others with malware to gain illegal access to them. Samsung advised users to constantly change their password and lock their device when it's not in use.
Another way to prevent hacking is by updating the phone to its firmware's most updated version. Apps that you install should only come from trusted sources and they shouldn't be asking for access to your personal information. Internet access should only come from a secure Wi-Fi network. Anti-virus and anti-malware apps also help.
