[Editorial] Protecting Your Mobile with Samsung KNOX

As mobile devices are becoming the center of our personal and business lives, we are moving from having mobile as an option to using only our mobile device as the main way to manage our lives. This means that security and privacy have to be top of mind for everyone, starting with the device manufacturer and ending with you, the user. But any system is only as strong as the weakest link in the technological chain, so it is vital to have protection over the entire infrastructure of a mobile device, from the factory at the hardware level to everyday usage, when consumers and businesses are actually depending on it. It needs to be versatile enough to complement people’s lives, but powerful enough to protect their data.

Samsung KNOX, the security platform of Samsung mobile devices since 2013, provides this total approach to mobile security, ensuring that your device is secure, out-of-the-box. Let’s take a look at what Samsung KNOX is exactly, and how it offers consumers unprecedented privacy protection for their mobile devices.

Defense-Grade Security the Moment You Power On

As soon as you power on a Samsung device, KNOX is immediately activated to ensure the device is in a known good state and is not compromised. This happens because Samsung KNOX takes a multi-layered approach to security, beginning with protection installed at the hardware level, right from the factory. It also implements security checks from the hardware level of the operating system all the way up to the application layer–giving users defense-grade security simply by turning their devices on.

Bottom line: All you need to do is power the device on to get the best Android device protection in the industry.

Even More Assurance for Businesses

When it comes to enterprises–large and small-and governments, Samsung KNOX-enabled devices have even more control to ensure security and privacy, and data leakage protection is superior in every way.

First, our device management partners (MDM) such as SOTI, MobileIron, Airwatch and others, provide businesses with thousands of policies that can be created and applied to compatible mobile devices. These polices are the result of extensive interfaces (APIs) made available to our partners. Everything from locking down the camera to protection against unauthorized applications, work together to allow businesses to maximize device protection.

Additionally, we work with many third parties to offer solutions that add more layers of security and protection for specific purposes. Using KNOX Workspace, the award-winning, secure container adds even more layers of security and protection of your company’s data.

Samsung KNOX has earned one of the largest numbers of certifications and authorizations by governments, militaries and enterprises of Android manufacturers. All of these things combined make a Samsung device with KNOX the most secure Android device available.

Security Best Practices and Samsung KNOX

Samsung KNOX, our MDM and security partners all come together to provide maximum security and privacy protection but, as mentioned, all of this is only as effective as the weakest link in the process.

That means that following simple, but important best practices ensure you aren’t the weakest link! Some examples:

• Never click on links from unknown sources.
• Set your device to accept updates automatically and apply them when notified. This will ensure your device is current with the latest security patches.
• Don’t open SMS messages from unknown or unrecognized numbers. Instead, call the number and verify the sender.
• Verify all your social media contacts within KakaoTalk, Twitter and others to confirm you know who is sending you what. If it looks suspicious, ask your friend first before clicking on something.

In August, Samsung announced an industry-wide, first-of-its-kind monthly security update to offer continuous protection from vulnerabilities.

Working with our many global carrier partners around the world to implement this process as a timely security update practice, we were able to roll out our inaugural Security Update in October so users can be assured that updates will be sent regularly, in addition to the defense-grade security that KNOX already provides.

We believe your personal privacy and security is of paramount importance, so we released My KNOX, which lets you control your own level of security. You can download the My KNOX app from my.samsungknox.com or Google Play, at no charge. Like enterprises, you can protect your data with the same level of security and privacy. You are in charge of your security settings, so that you have the ability to ensure that your private data stays private and protected.

KNOX Keeps Samsung Pay Safe, Too

Today, Samsung Pay is the most widely accepted mobile payment system in the world. Because it doesn’t require stores to install new software or devices, Samsung Pay can be used on almost any card reading device, just by holding it next to the magnetic reader.

KNOX protects your device on multiple levels to guard your data. With Samsung Pay, KNOX brings its hardware-backed security to the features of Samsung Pay to protect your transactions and personal information. In line with its industry-leading mobile security features, KNOX constantly monitors for malicious activity. KNOX puts to work a series of security features to protect the device, the payment information and the Samsung Pay application, so that customers can focus on shopping.

In addition to KNOX protection, all payment transactions also have three additional layers of security. The first layer is biometric authentication to prevent card fraud when phones are lost or stolen. Since payments are authorized with your fingerprint, your phone only allows payments with your consent. The second layer protecting Samsung Pay is KNOX, which constantly monitors for malware and suspicious activities on Samsung devices equipped with Samsung Pay. The third layer is tokenization of card payment data, which means each transaction uses a digital token instead of the card number.

In addition, if a smartphone is lost, the data in the device can be deleted remotely or the Samsung Pay function can be suspended through the “Find My Mobile” service.

Significant Progress in Mobile Security with Samsung KNOX

When we first introduced KNOX in 2013, it was a solid start to protecting devices and data contained on them. From day one, it has always been about protecting devices, starting from the hardware up.

Through a lot of hard work by my teammates around the globe, we delivered devices that proudly gained certification from the U.S. Department of Defense.

Since then, KNOX has evolved to be the industry leader in mobile security. It is known for delivering user-centric benefits that provide security and protection for both individuals and businesses.

The recognition we’ve received in the market since first launching KNOX has surpassed all others in the mobile security space, giving KNOX third-party validation. KNOX has received certifications from government agencies around the globe, including the U.S., the U.K., Korea, Australia and Finland. Additionally, in early 2015 at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, KNOX Workspace won a Best Security Product award, with judges hailing that “the technology behind this product is a genuine and significant step forward in providing verifiable security on mobile devices.”

The goal is safeguarding all of our customers, from the largest organizations to each individual. We consider this to be one of our greatest investments, and it’s an area in which we will continue to build and expand.