Your mobile could be left exposed to new security threat

A new study released by Roy Morgan shows that now 45% of Australian smartphone users feel that they can’t live without their device. That is a staggering amount that would probably find that they can survive fine without one if they had to.

Security is a primary concern with many as 59% use their mobile device to protect their personal security. A recent finding shows that their device might be working against them in this regard.

A new security flaw has been found by experts that could leave millions open for hackers. Android phones that are running full disc encryption (FDE) and are equipped with Qualcomm chips are the most vulnerable.

Experts say that no matter how secure your password is these hardware issues could leave you open to “brute force attacks” by hackers. A “brute force attack” is when a hacker overloads the phones security with persistent trial and error method. When a hacker uses this method, they usually have a computer system that will continue to try to log into the device with generated passwords until the correct one is found.

Google and Qualcomm have stated that they are working on some software security patches that may fix the problem, but experts are saying that in some cases that will not be enough and hardware upgrades may be needed.

If you think that your Android phone might be at risk, you can ensure that you have the latest patches for your phone by going to “Settings” then clicking on “About Device” and clicking “Software Update”. Updating your phone software should be done while you are connected to your home WIFI and not on mobile data as some software downloads can be a drain on your data plan.

It is also advisable if you are still concerned to take your device to your services store and ask the tech expert they have on staff. They should be able to tell you if your phone is as risk or entirely safe.

Are you using an Android phone? What do you use your phone for most? Banking? Browsing the net? Photography?