Both iPhones and Android phones can be affected by malware. And if it is not detected in time, it can both slow down the phone and find sensitive data that you don’t want to share at all.
And this applies to the highest degree to the old phone from work that you gave to your children.
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Is iphone more secure?
There is an old saying that describes Android phones as more difficult than the Apple equivalent. But it is a truth with modification.
Android phones are more vulnerable because they are more popular – which means more hacker groups are focused on cracking them.
Apple’s closed source code makes them somewhat harder for hackers to crack, but it also makes it harder for other users to report bugs and vulnerabilities.
According to a survey conducted by well-intentioned hackers hired by authorities, for example to hack into suspected criminals’ cellphones, computers and tablets, iPhones were actually easier to break into.
It writes, among other things Tech target.
Is your mobile vulnerable to the cunning tricks of hackers
Malware targeting children
Companies debate what is safest for staff to use, and the truth is that both iPhones and Android phones are vulnerable.
Even this has Tech target wrote about.
In addition, you run the risk of getting mobile phones and tablets with pre-installed malware if you buy a product aimed at children.
It warned the American Internet Foundation EFF for earlier this year.
Mobile older than five to eight years? Beware!
There is therefore reason to be careful with the phones you give your children. Your old work phone may well be out of date and no longer covered by the security updates of the big companies.
This makes them vulnerable to hacker attacks.
Hackers’ cunning tricks – the back door
In addition, children often download new apps. They naturally undergo security checks before reaching the Apple Store and Play. But it turned out this week that cunning hackers are uploading “clean” programs to the app stores, free of so-called malware, or malicious software.
But that doesn’t stop hackers from filling your apps with malware via a backdoor. The malicious codes are pushed into the apps via updates that bypass security controls.
If the mobile phone is not covered by the security updates, for example if the mobile phone is older than five to eight years, it becomes even easier to access the mobile phone.
28 percent of Apple users exposed
Apple updates the security of mobile phones that are up to eight years old, writes The Wall Street Journal.
According to Apple’s own figures, 72 percent of iPhone users have upgraded their phones’ operating system to iOS 15.
There are newer iOS than that, but the fact that 28 percent of users have older operating systems than that is ominous, according to experts.
Samsung and other android mobiles
Samsung updates security for at least five years, other Android manufacturers up to seven years.
But if your old work phone is older than that, you can still give it to your child – but then it’s wise to invest in good antivirus protection.
It is not just about preventing hackers – you probably also want to prevent material that is unsuitable for children from reaching the little ears and eyes.
The expert: Critical vulnerabilities
And using old mobile phones that do not receive security updates can be unwise, warns Christoph Hebeisen who is CEO of cyber security company Lookout:
– We do not see it as safe to use mobile phones that do not receive security updates. “Critical vulnerabilities are published every few weeks, and when a system is not updated, users are exposed to exploits of unknown vulnerabilities,” he said in a statement.
Not just the child – the parents’ business is at risk
According to an article in Kaspersky hackers target children to gain access to their parents’ accounts, but also to obtain sensitive data that can help them infiltrate their parents’ workplaces and businesses.
By attacking the child’s weak security, for example on the Fortnite account on the mobile, the hackers can find their way into the company via the child’s parents and their email accounts, bank accounts and social media that may be connected to the child’s phone.
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