With today's best phones, such asiPhone 15 Pro MaxInSamsung Galaxy S24UltraAt over $1,000, it's no surprise that many of us are looking for much cheaper phones. One of the most cost-effective ways to get a phone is to shop the second-hand market. And why not? The hardware is usually more than capable of doing what you need it for and moreenvironmentally friendly to keep using phones for longerinstead of sending them to the landfill.
The problem is that phones released several years ago may run outdated versions of Android or iOS, meaning they often lack critical security updates that could protect you and your data from prying eyes. While the hardware itself is often fine to use, especially if you're not looking for the best cameras or fastest processors, the lack of security support means older phones can be much less secure. If you're concerned about security and privacy (and you should be), here are some things to consider.
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What is a security patch for a phone operating system?
Whenever hackers find a new hole in your phone's software to exploit, phone manufacturers usually patch it, and that patch is pushed to your phone to ensure no one can exploit it. It's a security patch. You've probably received a large number of them over time, as cybercriminals are always trying to find new ways to bypass your phone's security. It's a continuous cycle of identifying threats, fixing them, and finding the next one.
Most of the time you will never know about it, but it will keep your phone up to date and protected from known threats.
Why do manufacturers stop releasing security patches?
All manufacturers including Samsung, Sony, Google and OnePlus only support a phone for a certain period of time. Every new handset released and every new version of Android requires new threat assessments and patches. That's a lot of work, and it means it will be impossible to find and repair these holes for every single device over years and years.
As a result, Google and phone makers will eventually have to end support for older handsets. Those handsets will then no longer receive security updates, meaning that when a threat is detected on that phone, it simply won't be patched.
Is it safe to use an outdated phone?
Such as Christoph Hebeisen, director of the security intelligence bureauLook after, explained: "We do not consider it safe to use a device that does not receive security patches. Critical security vulnerabilities become publicly known every few weeks or months, and once a system becomes unsupported, users who continue to use it become susceptible. for exploitation of known vulnerabilities."
According to Hebeisen, a vulnerable phone can give full access to everything on your phone, including your personal and work emails, contact information, your banking information, or audio of your phone calls. A hacker can continue to access this information as long as you continue to use the compromised handset.
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How do I know if my phone is too old?
Finding out if your phone is still supported and receiving security patches is often not easy. To get started, enterInstitutionsand check your software updates. Install the latest version available. Usually it will give you an indication of when the phone was last updated. If your phone says it has the latest operating system software, but the latest version was installed many months or even years ago, that's bad news. Your phone is probably no longer supported.
Unfortunately, manufacturers don't give you any warning when they've stopped supporting a phone, so you either find out through a rude awakening like I said above, or find out on your own in other ways.
A good rule of thumb is that a phone may no longer be supported if it is more than three years old. However, this varies from company to company. Google's previous pair of Pixel phones typically got five years' worth of software updates, but it made a big effort to extend that with the latestPixel 8 and 8 Pro, which promises seven years of security updates. Companies like itFairphonetake it a step further and pledge at least eight years of support. By comparison, Apple is still providing software updates for phones that are almost seven years old because it has relatively few models to manage.
Samsung has also extended support periods for the latest Galaxy S24 series, while other companies have also upped their support game to extend the life of their phones.
Finding out if your Android phone is supported takes some digging. Samsung sent me the list after I contacted the PR team, andit is available online here, and while it makes it clear which phones are currently supported with updates, it doesn't mention how long these updates will last.Google has a page that tells you clearlywhen your Pixel or Nexus phone loses security support. (Spoiler alert: All Nexus phones and the first three generations of Pixel — including 2018's Pixel 3 — are all no longer supported.) The best place to start is with the support pages on your phone manufacturer's website.
You may not immediately notice if your phone is outdated. The most obvious sign that you are using old software can be when you are looking for new apps to download. Many apps are simply incompatible due to your phone's software and hardware limitations and you cannot install them.
How do I know if my phone has been hacked?
It's hard to say whether you would ever notice if your phone's security was compromised. Cybercriminals don't exactly let you know that they have access to your device, so you'll want to keep an eye out for signs. Popups that can appear on the phone are a big giveaway, as are any apps that suddenly appear that you haven't downloaded yet.
Also take into account unexplained high data usage, as malicious apps may be using a lot of data in the background. Other indicators can also include unusually high battery consumption and slow performance, but both can also be attributed to the use of older hardware that deteriorates over time.
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How can I protect myself if I have an old phone?
As Hebeisen says, the best way to keep yourself safe is to simply not use a phone that is no longer supported. If you're strapped for cash, can't afford the upgrade yet, or are temporarily using an older phone for some reason, there are a few things you can do to help.
First, make sure the phone has the latest software installed. If you bought the phone second hand, make sure you do a full factory reset. Make sure you only download apps from the Google Play Store (rather than from third-party or unofficial app stores) and definitely avoid installing apps by downloading the APK file from a website. This can often be a way for malicious software to get into a phone.
You can help protect your personal information by simply not giving too much away. Don't do any banking over the phone, sync your work email accounts, or send sexy photos or have sexy video chats until you're back on a secure device. (Even over the phone, it's important to practice safe sex.) Failure to take such precautions could, according to Hebeisen, "allow an attacker to observe and manipulate almost everything that happens on the device." a cold shower there.
