Is It Safe To Use Old Phones? The Ultimate Guide On How to Keep Your Privacy Safe With an Older Version of Your Mobile Phone

The question of how long you should keep your phone before getting an upgrade is not primarily about physical age, but rather about the type of software it can run and the latest security vulnerabilities.

The security of mobile devices is more concentrated in the software than in the hardware. Attacks over the past few years have been focused on stealing credentials and money instead of exploiting the flaws in the hardware. Which is why we think it’s a great idea to discuss if it’s safe to use your old phone.

How Long Is an iPhone Safe For?

Although it can sometimes take longer, Apple still supports new iPhones for five years after they're released. This is significant since most people get new smartphones every two to three years. The company also provides updates to known vulnerabilities and the latest versions of iOS.

Despite the lack of malware, there's still a lower chance of getting infected with iOS than with Android devices. That's because Apple makes it easy to update to the latest version of its operating system.

How Long Is an Android Safe For?

Trying to determine the safe-use limits of an Android device can be challenging since it's not as standardized as Apple's iPhone. For instance, two years ago, older Android phones were not allowed to receive security updates anymore. Those who had been using their device for three years were advised to get a new one.

In 2020, Samsung, Qualcomm, and Google committed to providing some devices with four years' worth of security updates. For its own phones, Google increased the number of years that it would provide for security updates to five.

Only Google's own devices are protected from the latest security updates for Android on the day they are released. As newer models from Motorola, Samsung, and OnePlus aren't far behind, the company's support page indicates how long its devices will receive such updates.

For instance, the latest version of Android (Android 12) won't work on devices that have less than 2 GB of RAM. It's also not supported on the recently-launched Google Pixel 3. The original Google Pixel was the first device to receive Android 10 in September 2019. It also received its last security update in December that year.

How Long Is a Samsung Phone Good For?

According to the security-update chart for Samsung's older models, the company provides longer support than Google for pre-2019 devices. The chart shows that with older flagships, you could get almost four years of updates.

The Samsung Galaxy S8 was released in April 2017 and has since stopped receiving updates. Its successor, the Galaxy S Lite, received yearly security updates until March 2022. Both phones came with Nougat, and they can be upgraded to version 10.

Security Advancements Made by Top Mobile Phone Companies

Whenever a hacker finds a new hole in the software of your device, the manufacturer of your phone is immediately notified so that they can fix it, and security updates are sent out to prevent unauthorized access. You'll likely have already received numerous of these throughout the years due to cybercriminals constantly looking for ways to bypass the security of your device.

All major manufacturers, such as Google, Sony, Samsung, and OnePlus, only support their phones for a certain amount of time. As a result, finding and patching the security holes in the software of their devices becomes incredibly difficult.

This is why phone-makers and Google have to stop supporting older models. This means that whenever a security vulnerability is detected on a device, it will not be fixed.

Mobile Malware & Its Impact

Mobile malware is a type of malicious software that aims to take advantage of a vulnerability in an operating system or device. It can include various threats such as viruses, worms, and Trojans. As mobile devices have gotten more sophisticated, the complexity of these threats has also increased.

Back in the early days of mobile malware, it mainly targeted features such as SMS and contact lists. However, due to the evolution of technology, attackers have been able to develop more sophisticated ways of stealing data from a user's device.

Due to the rise of social networking sites and online banking services, the number of people who use mobile apps has increased significantly. As a result, security experts have observed a rise in the number of malicious software being distributed through the mobile app market. Unfortunately, users are not always aware of the risks that come with using these apps.

Impact of Mobile Malware

Despite the evolution of malware, cybercriminals are still constantly developing new ways to attack their targets. When looking at the collected logs in the Spycloud database, we see that most of the time, the data that was exfiltrated was obtained by one or more remote access Trojans, also known as RATs. These types of malware can pose a threat to users and organizations, as they can steal their credentials and personal data.

Personal Data

Mobile malware can pose a threat to one's personal information, which includes your contacts, messages, locations, and more. Bad actors can exploit this vulnerability to steal identities, sell it on the dark web, or carry out fraud.

This invasion of privacy can result in long-term consequences for the victim, as the cybercriminals can use their victim's information to impersonate them. They can also access their accounts and apps using their victim's passwords.

Finances

Mobile malware is a significant cause of financial fraud. A fake banking app can allow an attacker to steal a person's credit card details, bank account information, or other sensitive data. It can also remotely take over the device and cause unauthorized transactions.

Organizational Dysfunction

Beyond individuals, mobile malware can have a significant impact on organizations as a whole. A successful attack can affect a company's operations, reputation, and sensitive data.

If a company's proprietary or sensitive data is compromised by a hacker, it could lead to a data breach that could result in regulatory penalties, lawsuits, and damage to the company's reputation.

Preventing Mobile Malware

There are numerous security measures that smartphones have to protect themselves against malware. These include having regular software updates, as well as app store security checks. User education is also important to prevent attacks.

Mobile users should be trained and taught to be cautious when visiting websites or providing confidential information, even if it seems like it came from a trusted source. Knowing the risks and taking the necessary steps to safeguard their finances and privacy is very important.

Mobile Device Management Solution

With an MDM solution, organizations can easily enforce user best practices on their work devices. It can help them manage their devices and keep them secure by enforcing strict security policies. Administrators can also control app installations and enforce other security measures to reduce the likelihood of attacks.

In the event that an infection occurs, an MDM solution can help wipe the affected device. It can also help prevent the spread of harmful apps by enforcing a blacklist and app blacklisting.

Antivirus Software

When it comes to protecting your mobile device from malware, you can add a layer of protection by installing a reputable antivirus software. These apps can detect and block various threats, and they can provide you with real-time protection. Aside from protecting your personal device, they can also help prevent unauthorized access to your business data.

Despite the importance of installing antivirus software, it’s still not enough to protect your mobile device from malware. A study conducted by SpyCloud revealed that over 50% of all successful malware attacks were carried out on devices that had at least one anti-malware or anti-data theft solution installed.

Although some measures can prevent the infection of malware, it’s still important to monitor all of your activities to ensure that all of your personal information is protected for malware exposures as best as possible.

Having a thorough malware incident response plan can also help you stop the spread of infections. It can help you identify and prevent the possible use of stolen data in a future attack.

What are the Warning Signs That You’ve Gotten Hacked?

Viruses and malware can often cause issues with services or phones, which are usually dead giveaways for a hack. Check out some of the top warning signs you should look out for that may indicate that you’ve been hacked:

• If your device's battery is draining fast, you might be experiencing issues with fake or malicious apps that are consuming the phone's processing power. To avoid this, make sure that you have the necessary settings in your phone's settings to see which applications are consuming the most battery life.
• If you're experiencing unusual activity and poor performance, it's possible that your device is being compromised. Some of the most common signs of this issue include sluggish apps and slow downs in the basic functions of your phone. 
• Sometimes, performance issues can be caused by a corrupted app or file. To resolve this issue, try to reboot your device into Safe Mode, which is designed to only run a few processes and limited apps. If you're still having issues, try removing the problematic app.
• Some infections can use up a lot of your device's resources, which can cause it to feel warm to the touch. To check if the apps are still running, turn off the background app. On the iPhone, you can do this by going to the settings and uncheck the box that says "Background App Refresh."
• If hackers gain access to your Google or Apple account, they can potentially change your passwords and prevent you from accessing your accounts. To avoid this, try to follow the steps outlined in the recovery instructions provided by both Google and Apple.
• Unrequested access codes sent via email or your phone may be a sign that an unauthorized individual is trying to access your account. The good news about this is that it means that the security measure is implemented to protect your account and keep it working!

Old Network Equipment

Aside from the end users' devices, the risks associated with old access points and routers in the data center can also affect your network. According to a survey, over half of networking devices are not supported anymore.

The lack of support for older equipment can increase the risk of a security breach. When it comes to communication, devices that are not supported by the latest 802.11 standard can't guarantee secure connectivity. In 2003, the WEP protocol was replaced by the Wi-Fi Protected access standard. The security breach that occurred at TJ Maxx in 2007 was caused by the continued use of WEP.

The current generation of devices supports the 802.11i standard, but they require a 256-bit key to implement the new security method known as WPA2. Older equipment must be replaced, and there is still a vulnerability in the protocol that could allow unauthorized access.

How Does REALLY Protect You?

REALLY is focused on protecting the privacy of its users by minimizing the amount of information that it collects and using encryption for communication. It also utilizes a decentralized network to limit the amount of data that it stores and to ensure that only authorized users can access it.

Really aims to collect the minimal amount of user information that is required for the provision of services, which eliminates the possibility of extensive profiling and allows the user to opt out of receiving marketing and promotional information. Its network is secure and can prevent unauthorized parties from accessing and reading personal data. Also, distributed networks allow the company to distribute user information across multiple nodes, which makes it harder to gather large amounts of data.