Almost every day we hear of a cybersecurity threat affecting everything from consumers to businesses and organisations. These threats can create risks within networks, data and devices, and the number of incidents has risen exponentially. We already know that these threats come in multiple forms such as malware or phishing attacks — but they are often invisible to the victim until it’s too late.

Our powerful Galaxy security solutions provide multiple ways to protect you from these cybersecurity threats by securing your device and helping control your privacy. Auto Blocker and Message Guard are two of these safeguards.

Auto Blocker

Auto Blocker is all about choice — providing an opt-in package of additional security measures so that you are completely in control to choose whether you want to explore the customisations enabled by Galaxy’s ecosystem. Auto Blocker will protect your Galaxy device and personal data by preventing app installations from unauthorised sources. The feature will also check for malware and other cybersecurity threats, immediately blocking any malicious activity that could come as a result.

One example of Auto Blocker in action is the prevention of what many people call sideloading, or downloading apps from unverified sources. There are numerous benefits to intentional sideloading, such as added customisations to your phone. But if you do not typically sideload, this feature will provide extra peace of mind and stall potential attacks that can come in the form of social engineering fraud like voice phishing — in which threat actors trick you over the phone and talk you into installing malicious software.

The extra level of protection that Auto Blocker provides also stops harmful commands from entering your physical USB port — which could come in handy when charging your phone through an outlet at a public space like an airport.

Turning on Auto Blocker is a quick and simple process that takes less than a minute. Open Settings, go to Security and Privacy, then tap Auto Blocker and select On.

Settings > Security and privacy > Auto Blocker

Message Guard

Cybersecurity threats come in many forms, and each year they become even more sophisticated. One threat that is becoming increasingly common is the zero-click attack, which exploits vulnerabilities in your device software. This can take place any time an image is received and does not require any action whatsoever on the user’s part.

For instance, your phone receives an image and vibrates gently in your pocket or on your bedside table before going still. You haven’t touched your phone or facilitated any input, but someone may already be reading your messages, browsing your gallery or copying your bank details.

Samsung’s Message Guard will neutralise any potential threats that might be hiding in the image before it has a chance to do any harm by effectively trapping the file in an isolated space on your device. While the image is put into quarantine, Samsung Message Guard checks the file bit by bit — processing it in a controlled environment to prevent infection to the rest of your device

Message Guard works with a range of popular messaging apps that you probably already use, from Google and Samsung apps to Messenger, Telegram and WhatsApp. You don’t need to worry about initiating the process either since Message Guard runs silently and effectively 24/7 in the background without needing to be activated in any way.

Settings > Security and privacy > Auto Blocker > Messaging app protection

Although there is no doubt that cybersecurity threats will continue to evolve and become increasingly common, Samsung’s priority is to always keep you safe because privacy can only be assured with strong security. However you choose to live your life, Galaxy is there — watching your back and ensuring you stay in control.

Security Updates for Longer

While it’s important to have robust security features, it is also crucial to keep them up to date so you are protected against the latest threats. That’s why Samsung is providing up to seven years of security updates and seven years of operating system upgrades, starting with the Galaxy S24 series.^[1] This is the longest period of software support currently available for mobile devices, allowing users to keep their phones safely and more reliably for longer.

^[1] Availability and timing of Android OS upgrades and security updates may vary by device model and market.

We pick up our mobile devices hundreds of times each day and now rely on them to such an extent that we rarely leave the house without them. They’re an extension of us, and explosive new technologies like AI and generative AI bring hugely exciting opportunities to what you can do with your device – or rather, what your device can enable you to do.

But while technology changes, your right to privacy doesn’t. New developments mean new ways of data being processed. At Samsung, we think you should have the full picture when it comes to your personal information. We believe transparency, choice and control must be at the core of the mobile experience.

In this highly digitised world, your security and privacy are more important than ever, so it’s only right that our users have full control over their devices. That’s why we focus on providing solutions that allow you to have complete controllability and total empowerment over how your data is used.

Security & Privacy Dashboard:

This belief is the cornerstone of our Security & Privacy Dashboard. The Dashboard enables you to have complete control over your data, including who sees it and how it gets used. In one simple and easy-to-use interface, you can view, create and update your app permissions, controls and data-sharing features – effectively enabling you to call the shots on your data and customise your experience, your way.

The Dashboard also allows you to see any data that may be at risk, intuitively showing you the safety status of security items.

Settings > Security and privacy

From there, you can quickly and easily change your settings to manage potential dangers at the touch of a button. Items are ordered in priority of the functions that could have the most significant impact on your online safety – such as lock screen, account security, lost device protection via Find My Mobile, app security and updates. These are instantly accessible at the top, with intuitive red, yellow or green alerts showing any problems at a glance and providing clear indicators of any security issues.

Of course, we also do the work for you. Apps can continue tracking data for months, even when they are not in use – but Galaxy devices proactively remove permissions from apps that have not been used in a while, which can then be reinstated if you choose in the Dashboard.

You can do this through Permission Manager and Permission Usage. Permission Manager easily shows you which apps can access your data – whether it’s your location, camera or microphone and in which context (for example, if it’s only when using the app). Permission Usage provides an easy way for you to see your recently used permissions – specifically, which apps have used a certain permission in the last 24 hours or seven days. And, to make things even easier, we also provide instant action prompts through the Dashboard to help make data decisions more intuitive and transparent.

It’s simple to access your Security & Privacy Dashboard. Just go to Settings and Security & Privacy, where you can review and adjust permissions as you see fit.

You can also play with features to further enhance your device’s privacy, such as the Clipboard Access toggle. Turning this setting on (by going to Settings, then Privacy and looking for the toggle “Alert when clipboard accessed” means that any time an app pastes something from your clipboard, you’ll get a notification. No more hidden activity.

It’s never been easier to see and understand your data privacy with Galaxy. We put the control in your hands.

Find My Mobile / Samsung Find:

It’s one of life’s inevitabilities – at some point, we all misplace our phones. But with Find My Mobile and Samsung Find, you no longer need to worry about your device’s personal information getting into the wrong hands.

Once Find My Mobile is enabled, Samsung Find allows you to locate, lock and even erase your device’s data to create an access lockdown. You can find your device even if it’s not connected to a mobile network, as long as it’s turned on. And through Samsung Find, it’s not only your Galaxy phone you can hunt down – but also your Galaxy Buds, tablets, watches and other devices.

The additional options available make it easier than ever to find your devices. Users can invite family members in the Samsung Find app to view the location or activate ringing noises to help track down shared devices. To give yourself the best chance of locating lost devices with Samsung Find, you can extend the battery life by remotely turning on power saving mode.

Settings > Security and privacy > Lost device protection

With Galaxy, you’re empowered to stay in complete control of your device – even when it’s not physically with you.

Advanced Intelligence settings:

As an industry-leading global manufacturer, Samsung is focused on enhancing the device experience through dedicated AI features while prioritising privacy in the era of AI. Many of our Galaxy AI features use on-device data processing which means sensitive information stays with you and you alone. For those features that do require processing in the cloud or external servers, we make sure your data is protected with strict policies.

In a world of AI-enhanced experiences, we know that not everyone wants to use cloud-based AI. For some, keeping data on-device is a priority. So, while innovation is important to us, we believe it’s just as, if not more important that we continue to empower our users with the choice over their own experience.

That choice is yours with our Advanced Intelligence settings.^[1] Built into our Galaxy AI-supported devices, these settings let you decide how much you allow your data to enhance AI experiences and whether you want to allow online processing for full AI functionality.

To access the settings, open Settings and select Advanced features, then Advanced intelligence. Here, you’ll see the option to “Process data only on device.”

Settings > Advanced features > Advanced intelligence

We’re still just as committed to providing our users with transparency, choice and control over their devices in this epic new world. It’s all up to you, and it’s never been easier to see and understand what happens to your data at all times. Your privacy, secured with Galaxy.

^[1] Availability may vary by device model, OS and/or market.

Did you know that just receiving an image might be enough to let hackers in? While everyone knows not to open random links or attachments, that no longer guarantees safety as cybercriminals constantly explore new methods of attack.

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 Samsung is not aware of such attacks on its Galaxy smartphones, Samsung Electronics constantly looks ahead to anticipate potential threats and develop pre-emptive security measures – such as Samsung Message Guard.

New Security for New Threats

Picture this: your phone receives an image. It vibrates gently in your pocket before going still. Or it is on your bedside table, lighting up briefly as you sleep. You have not touched your phone, but someone may already be reading your messages, browsing your gallery and copying your bank details.

Zero-click exploits are just the latest threat in an era of increased cybercrime targeting user data. One in three consumers around the world has been the victim of a data breach where their personal data was hacked.[1] Data breaches are increasingly common, with rates more than tripling between 2013 and 2021.[2]

Threats evolve, but so too does Samsung’s mobile security. Samsung Galaxy smartphones offer comprehensive safeguards with the powerful Samsung Knox platform, and users are already protected from attacks using video and audio formats. Samsung Message Guard takes security seriously – it strives to protect your device and limit exposure to invisible threats disguised as image attachments.[3]

The security solution currently works on Samsung Messages and Messages by Google.[4] In line with Samsung’s philosophy of open collaboration, a software update will roll-out at a later date to let Samsung Message Guard protect you across third-party messaging apps as well.

A Secure Environment

Samsung Message Guard is an advanced ‘sandbox’, or a kind of virtual quarantine. When an image file arrives, it is trapped and isolated from the rest of the device. This process aims to prevent malicious code from accessing your phone’s files or interacting with its operating system. Samsung Message Guard checks the file bit by bit and processes it in a controlled environment with the goal of preventing infection to the rest of the device.

Simply put, Samsung Message Guard strives to neutralise any potential threat hiding in image files before they have a chance to do you any harm. It also runs silently and largely invisibly in the background and does not need to be activated by the user. So where previously you could be endangered without doing anything, now Samsung tries to ensure that you are protected from zero-click exploits without lifting a finger.

Samsung Message Guard is just the latest forward-looking security solution from Samsung. Separately, Samsung Galaxy devices already provide powerful security and privacy protections in other areas – thanks to the incredible Samsung Knox. This provides end-to-end protection across every layer of hardware and software, as well as real-time threat detection.

Availability

Samsung Message Guard is a solution on the Samsung Galaxy S23 series. It will be gradually rolled out to other Galaxy smartphones and tablets[5] later this year.

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^{[1] 2022 Thales Consumer Digital Trust Index, https://cpl.thalesgroup.com/data-trust-index.}

^{[2] 2022 Data Breach Investigations Report, Verizon, https://www.verizon.com/business/resources/reports/dbir/.}

^{[3] Samsung Message Guard supports protection against the following image formats: PNG, JPG/JPEG, GIF, ICO, WEBP, BMP, WBMP.}

^{[4] Default messaging app varies by market.}

^{[5] One UI 5.1 or higher.}

Not only does it encrypt your personal data, but the Samsung Knox Vault processor keeps your important information secure, including sensitive information linked to services like Samsung Pay. Any data saved on Samsung Knox Vault storage is isolated from the main operating system for even further protection. Not only is your data secure, it is also protected against a variety of attacks including voltage, temperatures and laser attacks.

Check out the video below to learn more about how Samsung Knox Vault protects your most important information.