Samsung’s One UI 5.1 update for Samsung S22 and other devices includes new and improved features, as well as a security enhancement called Samsung Message Guard, which protects against cyberattacks. Currently, Samsung Message Guard is only available for the Galaxy S23 series.
Samsung Message Guard protects against Zero-click exploits
Samsung is aware of the latest type of cyberattack known as zero-click exploits, which can occur when an image is received, and it may contain malicious code. Although there has been no evidence of these attacks on Samsung Galaxy smartphones, Samsung Electronics is proactively developing preemptive security measures, such as Samsung Message Guard, to prevent potential threats.
The current era of increased cybercrime targeting user data includes the latest threat of zero-click exploits. One out of three consumers worldwide has experienced a data breach where their personal data was hacked. According to Samsung, data breaches have become increasingly common, with rates more than tripling between 2013 and 2021.
However, Samsung’s mobile security also evolves with these threats. Samsung Galaxy smartphones provide comprehensive protection with the powerful Samsung Knox platform, which already safeguards users from attacks that use video and audio formats. Samsung Message Guard goes a step further by offering preemptive protection to limit exposure to invisible threats disguised as image attachments.
Samsung Message Guard is an advanced “sandbox”
Samsung Message Guard is a sophisticated sandbox or virtual quarantine that isolates and traps image files when they arrive, preventing malicious code from accessing a phone’s files or interacting with its operating system. Samsung Message Guard thoroughly checks the file and processes it in a controlled environment to ensure it cannot infect the rest of the device.
In simple terms, Samsung Message Guard automatically neutralizes potential threats hiding in image files before they can cause any harm. It operates silently in the background without requiring user activation, protecting against zero-click exploits without user intervention.
Availability
Samsung Message Guard is currently available on the Samsung Galaxy S23 series, and it will be gradually rolled out to other Galaxy smartphones and tablets later this year. The security solution currently works with Samsung Messages and Messages by Google.
However, Samsung plans to extend this protection to third-party messaging apps through a software update at a later date, in line with its philosophy of open collaboration.
Announcing the Samsung Message Guard, the company, said
Zero-click exploits are the latest kind of cyberattack, and they can take place any time an image is received. A single image could be hiding malicious code.
While there has been no sign of such attacks on Samsung Galaxy smartphones, Samsung Electronics constantly looks ahead to anticipate potential threats and develop preemptive security measures — such as Samsung Message Guard.