Hey guys,
I hope you’re well today. Please see below a roundup of some of the past day’s hot security and privacy-related topics. Let me know if you have any questions or comments about these issues/topics or need any privacy or security-related advice. Our team are here for you 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to help you in any way possible. Okay, here is the list:
Android 15 Brings Improved Fraud and Malware Protections
With live threat detection and expanded restricted settings, Google is boosting fraud and malware protections in Android 15. Here is a list of the new protections that will be rolled out. Some of them are very cool indeed and are much needed.
- Enhanced live threat detection in Google Play Protect with on-device AI capabilities
- Analysis of additional behavioral signals related to sensitive permissions and interactions with other apps and services
- Detection of suspicious behavior done on-device through Private Compute Core for privacy preservation
- Rollout of live threat detection to Google Pixel and various other smartphone brands
- Hiding of one-time passwords from notifications, except for specific types of applications
- Requirement of additional user approval for permissions when installing apps from Internet-sideloading sources
- Implementation of scam call detection to warn users of fraudulent conversation patterns
- Tightened screen sharing controls and hiding of private notification content
- Protection against threat actors using cell site simulators with notifications of unencrypted cellular network connections
- Alerting of at-risk users if cellular base stations or surveillance tools record their location
- Update of Play Integrity API for developers to check for screen capture, overlays, and device control by other apps
- Requirement for applications to demonstrate need to access users’ photos and videos
- Support for both cloud and local storage search in photo picker
- Introduction of a new screen sharing indicator for better visibility and control of shared content
Action for you: These new features will be rolled out to users in the coming weeks and months. All you have to do is keep your device up to date and you will get them in due course.
Read more here: https://security.googleblog.com/2024/05/io-2024-whats-new-in-android-security.html
Update Google Chrome – Another Zero Day Vulnerability
Google has released another patch for the third zero vulnerability in Google Chrome this week. If you are running Google Chrome, please update it right away.
Action for you: Update Chrome immediately and consider using a different browser.
Read more here: https://chromereleases.googleblog.com/2024/05/stable-channel-update-for-desktop_15.html
iPhone owners say the latest iOS update is resurfacing deleted photos
This is quite scary. You can read the full article below, but many iPhone users are complaining that after upgrading to the latest iOS version, photographs they deleted many months ago are showing up again in the camera roll. Officially, you cannot recover a photo after being deleted for over a month. These photographs have not been deleted from your phone. Other reports include voicemails from several months ago that have been deleted are showing up on the phone as well
Read more here: https://www.theverge.com/2024/5/15/24157284/apple-iphone-ios-17-5-update-deleted-photos-voicemails
Banco Santander warns of a data breach exposing customer info
Banco Santander S.A. announced it suffered a data breach impacting customers after an unauthorized actor accessed a database hosted by one of its third-party service providers. In a statement published this week, the bank disclosed a data breach incident that has impacted customers and employees in Spain, Chile, and Uruguay.
Action for you: At the moment, nothing, as the bank says that no account information has been accessed. They are very shady about what has been accessed, though, so if I were you, I would keep an eye on my bank statements if you’re a Santander customer.
Read more here: https://www.santander.com/content/dam/santander-com/en/stories/contenido-stories/2024/statement.pdf
I wish you all the best, and I look forward to talking to you soon.
All the best,
Stephen McCormack