From next September, almost a third of smartphone Android they will no longer receive security update. End of support brings problems with cybersecurity important, which Android users shouldn’t underestimate.
A third of Android smartphones soon without security updates
The alarm comes from researchers at Bitdefender Mobile Security for Android, who explain how important the impact on the security of the smartphone world could be. About the 70% of mobile devices in the world use Android. But when the manufacturers run out of support, hackers can attack them without the devices having up-to-date security measures to defend themselves.
At the moment the oldest Android directly supported by Google is Android 10, but it will end support in September 2022. This means that a figure close to 35% of devices risk no longer having security support.
Bitdefender experts explained to ANSA that “When users choose a new smartphone, they usually consider the screen size, ease of use, processing power, image quality and many other features. Unfortunatelythe duration of the software’s support in terms of security is rarely a deciding factor in the choice “.
Although it should be noted that lately some manufacturers (such as Samsung) are extending support beyond four years on some smartphones. But not all users have this luck.
“If a manufacturer stops supporting a device, the user is free to use it, but when a vulnerability is discovered, the company will no longer apply the patches and, although the phone still performs its functions, it becomes extremely vulnerable. THE Outdated and unsupported devices are among the best friends of cybercriminals, especially those still in use. We can still find mobile phones with versions of Android launched a decade ago, a real nightmare for those involved in security ”.
An updated smartphone is safer. But a third of users risk being unable to update by the end of the year. A big risk for the cybersecurity.