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What kind of security is recommended to set up on phone? I.e virus scan, firewall etc.
Thanks.
Sent from my HTC Vision using XDA App
I am currently testing Lookout Pro but I am new to smartphones so I would be interested in more experienced users responses.
Android is a modified Linux image. Linux needs antivirus like a fish needs a bicycle.
This is really a controversial issue, with most people seeing phone antivirus as not necessary. Personally I don't see the harm, Lookout is a good app that scans apps as well as locates your phone if it gets stolen. It's what I use.
Other than that just always use a secure wifi connection and only download apps you trust and you should be good to go!
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App
I've been using lookout for almost a 2 months it drains my battery fast, but I still use it battery's not a problem though.
Sent from my HTC Vision using XDA App
It is *impossible* for an anti-virus to work on Android. If it did, then BY VERY DEFINITION, the anti-virus would actually be ***A VIRUS***. No installed application can access any data related to any other application unless either signed with the same private key (i.e., was produced by the same developer), or it is accessing information SPECIFICALLY SHARED by that other application.
Don't waste your limited brain capacity messing with antivirus nonsense. This concept only applies to MS WINDONKEYS, which has world renowned smoke and mirrors in place of ANY form of security.
A strong kernel is better than any kind of nonsense scanner.
dhkr123 said:
It is *impossible* for an anti-virus to work on Android. If it did, then BY VERY DEFINITION, the anti-virus would actually be ***A VIRUS***. No installed application can access any data related to any other application unless either signed with the same private key (i.e., was produced by the same developer), or it is accessing information SPECIFICALLY SHARED by that other application.
Don't waste your limited brain capacity messing with antivirus nonsense. This concept only applies to MS WINDONKEYS, which has world renowned smoke and mirrors in place of ANY form of security.
A strong kernel is better than any kind of nonsense scanner.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I LOL'd.
10 characters
Been using cell phones for over 20 years, I have used just about every platform, I have yet to come across a virus on a cell phone, right now waste of money, memory phone resources etc.
Took you guys advice and removed the trial Lookout app from my phone, tks!
Quick question I only have been using lookout cause of the GPS tracking incase my phone got stolen anyone know any other apps that do just that without taking up a ton of resources and battery?
Ditto. Android's modified Linux. If anything, Antivirus is just gonna slow it down. Beside, it's awful hard for anything to gain root access (needed to actually infect the system) without ADB. Without this element, a factory reset would destroy any remnants of a virus if any such beast even exists for Android. I seriously doubt anyone has anything to worry about as far as this is concerned.
Most would-be thieves are stopped simply by potential consequences. They know there's a GPS chip in those phones. Theft of service? In a lot of states, automatic felony. If not, the value of the phone alone could push a felony. Who knows if you have GPS tracking software installed? The IMEI blacklist which is activated when you report your phone stolen, essentially rendering it useless? The fact that it's a federal crime simply to change the IMEI to get around the blacklisted number. So many things to think about. Cell phone theft just isn't that common anymore.
So the likelihood of your phone catching a virus? Slim/none. The likelihood of it getting stolen? Also slim. Unless some idiot really wants that phone, which'll shut off as soon as you report it stolen anyway.
I've been using Android since it came out on the G1. I say just enjoy it. Save your space for more useful (or fun) apps.
So. I was in a hookah bar in Texas. I'm almost sure I put my GNEX in my pocket right before I left! Must have slipped while I thought I was sliding it in my jacket's pocket!
This is not a thread to complain or for you to feel sorry for me. My previous phone was a Motorola Atrix 4G, which can be GPS-tracked and remotely-wiped through the MotoBlur website. I must have been too excited with the GNEX that I did not find the time to check if I had the same options in case of emergencies. It seems Google Nexus phones does not have a similar feature by default. I went back home and tried tracking the NEX but no go. I did not have any apps for this functionality pre-installed. **pulls hair**. There's an app called "Plan B" which can be installed remotely using your account in the Android market website to enable GPS locating. Sadly, It did not work for me. Maybe it's not updated to support ICS yet.
Anyway, I'm just saying make sure to install a reliable GPS tracking app and test it in case you misplace your GNEX phones. (maybe even recommend us one?)
I used my brother's iPhone 4S later that night and I almost laughed despite how sad I was for my loss. The iphone feels like a little toy after getting used to the GNEX. I felt the same when I went back to my Atrix too, which has an even larger screen than the iphone 4s. I concluded, there's no going back.. I ordered another GNEX today!
Good luck.
CyberPunk7t9 said:
So. I was in a hookah bar in Texas. I'm almost sure I put my GNEX in my pocket right before I left! Must have slipped while I thought I was sliding it in my jacket's pocket!
This is not a thread to complain or for you to feel sorry for me. My previous phone was a Motorola Atrix 4G, which can be GPS-tracked and remotely-wiped through the MotoBlur website. I must have been too excited with the GNEX that I did not find the time to check if I had the same options in case of emergencies. It seems Google Nexus phones does not have a similar feature by default. I went back home and tried tracking the NEX but no go. I did not have any apps for this functionality pre-installed. **pulls hair**. There's an app called "Plan B" which can be installed remotely using your account in the Android market website to enable GPS locating. Sadly, It did not work for me. Maybe it's not updated to support ICS yet.
Anyway, I'm just saying make sure to install a reliable GPS tracking app and test it in case you misplace your GNEX phones. (maybe even recommend us one?)
I used my brother's iPhone 4S later that night and I almost laughed despite how sad I was for my loss. The iphone feels like a little toy after getting used to the GNEX. I felt the same when I went back to my Atrix too, which has an even larger screen than the iphone 4s. I concluded, there's no going back.. I ordered another GNEX today!
Good luck.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Bummer.. I'm using AndroidLost from the market, top app!
Vangelis13 said:
Bummer.. I'm using AndroidLost from the market, top app!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Androidlost helped me find my wife's lost HTC Legend and has some pretty cool features.
I doubt you need the reminder but I recommend changing your passwords.
Did you try calling your phone?
@CyberPunk7t9 bummer mate.. Really sorry to hear that ..
I installed AndroidLost.. Its AWSOME
To use Plan B you have to have lookout installed. This is why I get insurance on my phone
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk
i purchased cerebus for my 3 andriod phones on my account. if you root you can install it in the system folder so even a factory wipe wont get rid of it. great app.
sahakiap said:
i purchased cerebus for my 3 andriod phones on my account. if you root you can install it in the system folder so even a factory wipe wont get rid of it. great app.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same here. Cerberus is awesome. It takes pictures, track, wipe, auto turn data/gps on.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
_Gir_ said:
I doubt you need the reminder but I recommend changing your passwords.
Did you try calling your phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I did change my Google account password right after I failed to track the device. I needed the password to be unchanged until I (quickly) try to locate the device using the Plan B app.
A reminder to people who lose their phones..
If you somehow fail to locate your lost device and feel or knew it might be in someone else's hands:
-Change your Gmail/Google password.
-Login to Google Checkout and remove all credit cards added to your account.
-Inform your phone provider/carrier to disable your SIM. Excessive usage of data can show up on your bill if you have limited plans.
Also, If you have Google Maps Latitude service enabled, It's possible with some luck to locate the phone accurately by logging in to the Google Latitude website and look for yourself.
xXJay_RXx said:
To use Plan B you have to have lookout installed. This is why I get insurance on my phone
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No you don't.. I've used Plan B without Lookout before.
This is the first and only 'find my phone' app that you download AFTER you've already lost your phone. Having Lookout on your phone is the best way to protect your phone and find it fast, but use Plan B if you have already lost your phone and didn't have Lookout installed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know about Android Lost, haven't tried it but I believe Phone Locator Pro has to be the best thing out there. It has every option imaginable including the ability to continuosly send what ever message you want to your phone for the thief to read, but he still can't unlock it. Also takes a silent snap shot from the front camera of your device on any failed unlock attempts and sends it immediately to your email.
sahakiap said:
i purchased cerebus for my 3 andriod phones on my account. if you root you can install it in the system folder so even a factory wipe wont get rid of it. great app.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
how do you install in the system folder
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
DroidHam said:
how do you install in the system folder
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Put the apk into system/app folder.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
I used to use GotYa but now I don't use an unlock screen... just installed Android Lost because of all the positive recommendations. Looks good!
I watch over my phone like a hawk, but it never hurts to have a backup plan.
I also installed AndroidLost. It can be hidden without rooting and you have to administer it from the website.
Sorry you lost your phone, that really sucks
I should probably heed your advice and install one of these GPS programs but I have concerns.
1. Surely they drain your battery quite a lot?
2. Wouldn't you have to leave GPS on all the time?
3. I'm not sure I'd trust some random company with all my data..
4. Would it actually help you find it? I mean if you lose your phone someone's going to take it aren't they?
Thoughts?
case0 said:
Sorry you lost your phone, that really sucks
I should probably heed your advice and install one of these GPS programs but I have concerns.
1. Surely they drain your battery quite a lot?
2. Wouldn't you have to leave GPS on all the time?
3. I'm not sure I'd trust some random company with all my data..
4. Would it actually help you find it? I mean if you lose your phone someone's going to take it aren't they?
Thoughts?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll answer first cerberus.
1. Battery isn't affected at all, it will track your phone when you'll log in on a pc. So it's not tracking 100% of the time.
2. You can turn it off, when you'll go on the website you can turn it on. So you can loose your phone, turn it on and find it back. So even if the thief turn gps and data off, you can reenable them from the website.
3. I trust them
4. Yeah it will help, you'll see his position on Google map and every time he try to unlock it,. It. Take a picture with front camera. It will be easy to recognize the thief.
The app doesn't appear on the phone and it can't be installed and deleted without your cerberus username and password.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
case0 said:
Sorry you lost your phone, that really sucks
I should probably heed your advice and install one of these GPS programs but I have concerns.
1. Surely they drain your battery quite a lot?
2. Wouldn't you have to leave GPS on all the time?
3. I'm not sure I'd trust some random company with all my data..
4. Would it actually help you find it? I mean if you lose your phone someone's going to take it aren't they?
Thoughts?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. Not necessarily, but they need to run in the background, yeah.
2. The app would be given permission to turn on GPS if it's off.
3. There are some apps which need a lot of permission to work properly (like Light Flow), that's why users should look for apps by recognized developers if they decide to install apps like that, not just random one from the market.
4. Yes it can. I once lost my Atrix phone and found it in my friend's car under the seat after GPS-tracking it in the Motorola website. So, It's not ONLY for cases of theft although it can help with that.
If I had a GPS tracking app in my lost GNEX, I'd be able to tell it was still in the hookah bar where I believe I lost it and confront them there about it, but I had no proof. I'd rather lose the money than accuse the employees there without an evidence.
Hookah bar.. hmm do you live in spring texas?
Sent from my SGH-T989 using xda premium
Do you live in San Antonio?
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App
I need some help in trying to find an app that requires a pass code or password to allow the device to shutdown and enter airplane mode. Why you may ask well because while my phone is protected against theft via Cerberus someone could easily shut it down or make it go into airplane mode if it required a pass code then a thief wouldn't be able to do so thus letting me track down the device. I know a battery pull could still make it all useless but my phones case an otter box defender is a bit hard to take off and they'll probably turn on the phone at some point if they where to pull the battery. Anyways if any one knows an app that could do this I would highly appreciate someone telling me what it is. Thanks in advance.
Sent from my Sprint Galaxy Nexus CDMA using XDA
Bump?
Sent from my Sprint Galaxy Nexus CDMA using XDA
I have an Otterbox Defender and it's quite simple to remove it, not hard at all.
Beyond that, if a thief was smart enough, they'd reinstall the battery and go into a method to factory reset it or write the ROM clean.
I understand your point of making things slightly more difficult, but nothing is theft proof, and as such, if they want it they'll take it.
Beyond that, even the best of trackers will not have the police knocking on doors to retrieve it... All the thief has to say is "I don't know what you're taking about" and refuse admittance in to his home.
No judge will authorize a warrant to enter a home to retrieve a cell phone that may or may not be there. GPS systems don't have pin point accuracy, so your phone could be next door or across the street.
So really theft trackers are ok, but slightly useless for retrieval methods.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
I've been curious as to whether it'd be possible to "write protect" your custom rom installs, essentially requiring a password to flash a new kernel or rom
Yeah I know nothing is theft proof but still I would like that little extra protection. And also I'm sure someone could make a recovery that could require a password. Someone should request that im pretty sure someone can do it with like twrp 2 and I would also rather have a thief steel a phone that's useless to them than something they could use.
Sent from my Sprint Galaxy Nexus CDMA using XDA
Avast Mobile Security writes the anti-theft to root. So even a factory reset the app will survive. and has sim detection.
Theft can just pull the battery that no one can stop. Unless you have a internal battery.
Yeah battery pull seems to be the only way to make any anti theft app useless and I use Cerberus which has a similar feature where even after you factory reset it will remain on the system pretty good considering I was able to get a free license to it
Sent from my Sprint Galaxy Nexus CDMA using XDA
I'm not sure anything will survive a new rom flash.
At least your data will be somewhat protected.
r29 said:
Avast Mobile Security writes the anti-theft to root. So even a factory reset the app will survive. and has sim detection.
Theft can just pull the battery that no one can stop. Unless you have a internal battery.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How does it write anti-theft to root? Do you mean it makes it a system app?
This is one of the only things I like about Apple, is that if your phone gets stolen, you can easily lock it, and nothing gets passed it unless you go to and Apple store.
I'm sure there's another method, but that would require good knowledge of computers and code and most thief's probably don't know about that stuff.
Sent from someone's Galaxy Nexus running AOKP + Franco
Would be smarter to build an app to make it look as if the phone had shutdown. Especially since of they can't shut it down from the power menu then they would just pull the battery.
Sent From My Sprint Galaxy Nexus via XDA Premium
Today while texting in public with my N4, an idiot thief thought it was a good to snatch the phone out my hand and take off running, lucky me being me, I chased him down and got my phone back. (wont go into detail)
To get to the point, when I got my phone back it was still unlocked, leaving the thief to have full control of my phone, I already have the lock-screen activation set to the lowest value (15 seconds), yet for the minute or so where he had my phone, it didn't lock. Presumably because his hand made contact with the screen while running, thus leaving the screen on.
Okay so, the idea is: have a app that uses the accelerometer to detect sudden increases in speed, or certain motions, idea being when the phone is snatched out your hand, the app detects the sudden increase in speed (from the thief running away) or the motion of the phone being snatched out your hand, after which the app would lock the screen.
Sure, its not faultless, though it would be effective. Plus if a dev does pick this up, any faults would be ironed out.. but for now I'm just wondering if its possible at all.
I think it is not a great idea, it is very hard to decide when the movement is strong enough to lock.. and I bet i'd lock very often when you don't want.. Also, those kind of things don't happen very often.. It'd be a useless app for most of the ppl using it, as their phone will never be stolen of their hands..
Meh, just an idea.
MrDarkKV said:
Meh, just an idea.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I thought there was an app once that would do something to your device if it detected it was being dropped. Like save opens programs shut down the device or or something. Although now I know that no app could be that fast, unless you dropped it off a building lol. But that would be kinda neat too.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
iPhones in NYC get stolen everyday from snatches....
[LG NEXUS⁴] [LIQUIDSMOOTH] [MATR1X] [POETIC BLK BUMPER] [APEX PRO] [TAPATALK PRO]
dEris said:
iPhones in NYC get stolen everyday from snatches....
[LG NEXUS⁴] [LIQUIDSMOOTH] [MATR1X] [POETIC BLK BUMPER] [APEX PRO] [TAPATALK PRO]
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The thing is in NYC hardly anyone knows what a nexus is
So, ever time you get in a car your phone shuts ?
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
Then when I do jumping jacks my phone will deactivate
I'll just take my chances
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2
AW: Anti-Theft app idea...
I think you could do it by building a Tasker profile that locks the screen when the accelerometer reaches a specific value.
Alternative idea: Make a Tasker profile that when a special SMS is received it locks your screen, sets a password and under the hood sends you the actual GPS coordinates of your phone.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
Use Cerberus, flashable in recovery so it'll survive a factory reset. And like the person above said, create a profile in tasker with sensor - gesture. This will do the trick for sure
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
Shedao said:
I think you could do it by building a Tasker profile that locks the screen when the accelerometer reaches a specific value.
Alternative idea: Make a Tasker profile that when a special SMS is received it locks your screen, sets a password and under the hood sends you the actual GPS coordinates of your phone.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are a million apps that do that exact process.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
I Do not lock my phone
In contrary of you guys, I never lock my phone just because 99% of people who will steal my phone will just remove my sim card, delete what is not interesting for them and start using it. and as i have cerberus(anti theft app) installed ,I have lot of chance to get my phone back without a hassle.
If i had lock t , for sure they will give to a technician who will flash again the firmware and i will never gat my phone back.
What do ou think about it?
malosn said:
In contrary of you guys, I never lock my phone just because 99% of people who will steal my phone will just remove my sim card, delete what is not interesting for them and start using it. and as i have cerberus(anti theft app) installed ,I have lot of chance to get my phone back without a hassle.
If i had lock t , for sure they will give to a technician who will flash again the firmware and i will never gat my phone back.
What do ou think about it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its a possible good tactic. I also never lock mine!
heat361 said:
The thing is in NYC hardly anyone knows what a nexus is
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But the app wouldn't be restricted to just the N4. It would be an app for the Play Store....
[LG NEXUS⁴] [LIQUIDSMOOTH] [MATR1X] [POETIC BLK BUMPER] [APEX PRO] [TAPATALK PRO]
Wow. I hope you kicked his ass.
Apple has ideas like this patented already... that is not a joke by the way
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
It would definitely limit the usage of the phone during a drive I'd imagine. It's an interesting concept and I definitely think you'd have a decent group of users, just maybe not from this crowd specifically.
In contrary of you guys, I never lock my phone just because 99% of people who will steal my phone will just remove my sim card, delete what is not interesting for them and start using it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What about some form of "reverse SIM card lock"? I actually thought the functionality I'm about to describe is what "SIM Card Lock" meant in many of the security applications available but apparently it's not: what about an application on the phone that securely wipes the phone when it is using any SIM card, or none at all, other than the one it's "assigned" to? Where "SIM Card Lock" locks a SIM Card to the phone; how about locking the phone to the SIM card?
Hey OP
The idea is cool in it self, but unfortunately its not as practical and that doesn't help you much. Imagine you had your idea implemented, and the thief just run away with your phone. What will that serve you? You were lucky to recover it by catching him, but what if you couldn't? This is where you need an app that can get your phone back instead of worrying about it the minute detail of having your screen locked by an action that is indistinguishable from other non-thefts situations from a software/hardware perspective...
There is an app I really recommend everyone to have and its called AndroidLost (many other app similar to it are available). What you can do with it is basically infinite, when you have your phone stollen or lost. From tracking it, locking it, disabling it etc...even if the sim card is changed. You can even take a picture of the thief and have sent to you without them realizing it...
It gave me such a peace of mind and hope it will for you too! Try it, its in the play store.
Cheers
Sent from my Nexus 4
Hash_Map said:
Hey OP
The idea is cool in it self, but unfortunately its not as practical and that doesn't help you much. Imagine you had your idea implemented, and the thief just run away with your phone. What will that serve you? You were lucky to recover it by catching him, but what if you couldn't? This is where you need an app that can get your phone back instead of worrying about it the minute detail of having your screen locked by an action that is indistinguishable from other non-thefts situations from a software/hardware perspective...
There is an app I really recommend everyone to have and its called AndroidLost (many other app similar to it are available). What you can do with it is basically infinite, when you have your phone stollen or lost. From tracking it, locking it, disabling it etc...even if the sim card is changed. You can even take a picture of the thief and have sent to you without them realizing it...
It gave me such a peace of mind and hope it will for you too! Try it, its in the play store.
Cheers
Sent from my Nexus 4
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey, just to clarify.. I do actually use a anti-theft app. (Avest) Its actually really good, you can flash it through recovery thus making it a system service and making it resilient from a wipe. The original idea came about as with my phone I have a unique feature: when the phone is locked, it cant be rebooted, or turned off from the power menu, though it can be soft reset via holding down the power button for 10 seconds, however the phone does boot back up and nothing is effected but when its unlocked it can be turned off, rendering any anti-theft app useless.
Sure its not practical in some situations, like driving.. but there's always a solution to a problem, right?
:good:
Shedao said:
I think you could do it by building a Tasker profile that locks the screen when the accelerometer reaches a specific value.
Alternative idea: Make a Tasker profile that when a special SMS is received it locks your screen, sets a password and under the hood sends you the actual GPS coordinates of your phone.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have mine set up to max the volume and start screaming, light up the led, take photos front/back and email them, and report gps all from different codes in Tasker. There are other apps you could use to do it with, but I already have Tasker as a running process and dont need to duplicate that. Go nuts.
malosn said:
In contrary of you guys, I never lock my phone just because 99% of people who will steal my phone will just remove my sim card, delete what is not interesting for them and start using it. and as i have cerberus(anti theft app) installed ,I have lot of chance to get my phone back without a hassle.
If i had lock t , for sure they will give to a technician who will flash again the firmware and i will never gat my phone back.
What do ou think about it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your coworkers are a lot nicer than mine. If I left my phone unlocked I would soon start coming out on Facebook as a raging homosexual.
Assuming it even hits our device in an official capacity at some point, I will not be taking the Lollipop update. Why not? Because Google has decided to add a kill switch...
http://www.theverge.com/2014/10/15/...includes-kill-switch-factory-reset-protection
Sure, it sounds like a smart idea and a nice feature on the surface, but having spent more than my fair share of time mucking about with various means of remotely (and stealthily) accessing Android devices, the potential for abuse is too great....Not to mention the fact that the NSA and other alphabets must be absolutely thrilled about such a 'feature'. No thanks....
I see your point. There are ups and downs to.. Pretty much everything. I, myself, would be more than thrilled for a 5.0 update. Not like any of my bank info or other personal info has been stolen or used without my consent, nor have I done any really big illegal activities through my device which would give the NSA a reason to look my way.
Interesting. I think it's worth noting, the article claims that Google implemented the ability to remotely lock phones "last year." So that should automatically dispel any notion of anonymity. Besides that, i think the NSA and other "outfits" have had access to personal devices long before the announcement of lollipop. If you really desire to stay off the grid, he prepared to make substantial efforts.
Not that the NSA needs such a feature. They're already capable of going through your phone it's nothing new.
A big issue would be someone maliciously taking over the kill switch and locking you out with no way in.
Yeah that would definitely suck.
The thing that concerns me most isn't privacy or nefarious doings by the NSA. Everyone knows by now (or should) that privacy and anonymity don't exist in the digital world, and the NSA already has their grubby mitts into everything. I'm more concerned about the possibility of other random people being able to lock me out of my phone.
I'm not going to go into detail, as XDA is not the place for such things and the information can easily be gleaned elsewhere, but as I mentioned, there are already fairly simple ways to get full, remote access of somebody's phone. All it takes is 20 seconds or so of physical access to a device, or a little bit of social engineering to get somebody to install a seemingly benign apk (infected Play Store updates were my favorite), and you can do whatever you want, undetected.
Now imagine you install something, and unbeknownst to you it gives someone complete remote access to your device, starts sniffing passwords, and running keyloggers. Before long, they've got your complete Google account (for example). Next, they change your password, associated phone number, and recovery email addresses to their own, and activate your device's 'kill switch'. You would be left holding a paper weight, without ever knowing what happened, and there would be nothing you could do about it...
I tend to be very careful about what I install, but even I have installed the odd apk I've gotten here at XDA, or compiled and installed something from Github without checking through the source. It's almost impossible to be 100% certain everything you install is clean.
Fortunately, such malicious 'attacks' (for lack of a better word) aren't all that common, relatively speaking. The odds of you randomly becoming a victim of such a thing are marginal. Also, I'm sure once Lollipop is out in the wild, people will start finding flaws with the 'kill switch' implementation, and ultimately, ways of circumventing it. Maybe then I'll consider updating. Until then, however, knowing what nefarious things are possible with it, however unlikely, far outweighs any potential reasons to want to update.
Maybe I'm a little over-paranoid, but that's my take on it, for what it's worth....
Morningstar said:
The thing that concerns me most isn't privacy or nefarious doings by the NSA. Everyone knows by now (or should) that privacy and anonymity don't exist in the digital world, and the NSA already has their grubby mitts into everything. I'm more concerned about the possibility of other random people being able to lock me out of my phone.
I'm not going to go into detail, as XDA is not the place for such things and the information can easily be gleaned elsewhere, but as I mentioned, there are already fairly simple ways to get full, remote access of somebody's phone. All it takes is 20 seconds or so of physical access to a device, or a little bit of social engineering to get somebody to install a seemingly benign apk (infected Play Store updates were my favorite), and you can do whatever you want, undetected.
Now imagine you install something, and unbeknownst to you it gives someone complete remote access to your device, starts sniffing passwords, and running keyloggers. Before long, they've got your complete Google account (for example). Next, they change your password, associated phone number, and recovery email addresses to their own, and activate your device's 'kill switch'. You would be left holding a paper weight, without ever knowing what happened, and there would be nothing you could do about it...
I tend to be very careful about what I install, but even I have installed the odd apk I've gotten here at XDA, or compiled and installed something from Github without checking through the source. It's almost impossible to be 100% certain everything you install is clean.
Fortunately, such malicious 'attacks' (for lack of a better word) aren't all that common, relatively speaking. The odds of you randomly becoming a victim of such a thing are marginal. Also, I'm sure once Lollipop is out in the wild, people will start finding flaws with the 'kill switch' implementation, and ultimately, ways of circumventing it. Maybe then I'll consider updating. Until then, however, knowing what nefarious things are possible with it, however unlikely, far outweighs any potential reasons to want to update.
Maybe I'm a little over-paranoid, but that's my take on it, for what it's worth....
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I wouldn't doubt it if people are already considering to do that to a greater extent.
First of all the name itself "kill switch" is totally misleading. "Killing" something or somebody in full meaning of the word means ending it's life permanently. The way I read the article, this thing simply disables the phone remotely until proper password is entered? How is this different from SIM card lock password protection, or log on password most phones have for ages, that now it will be mandated by another useless law? Or maybe that this new method can not be bypassed? It's still not a kill switch, if it can be reversed and it should be called disable switch or something, but it doesn't have the same ring to it.
There has to be way to unlock the phone without password, otherwise there will be a lot of angry people who forgot/lost password especially if set once and forgotten until let's say 6 months later the switch is activated.
For example couple years ago I think I set password for program purchases on my cable box, so kids can't purchase something by accident, I have no idea what that password is. At least I have no intentions of buying anything.
Also what stops the thief from breaking phone apart and selling parts? My wife broke the screen on her GS3, replacement screen is more expensive than brand new GS3.
And who activates the switch? if user, a lot of people won't have a clue, if company, imagine some prankster breaks into Apple servers, steals the codes and kills 3,000,000 iphones, actually come to think of it, that wouldn't be such a bad thing.
I may not update to L either, but for more practical reasons, like are there any benefits for me, is there root method without tripping knox, or will it kill my battery, like update to KK did.
pete4k said:
First of all the name itself "kill switch" is totally misleading. "Killing" something or somebody in full meaning of the word means ending it's life permanently. The way I read the article, this thing simply disables the phone remotely until proper password is entered? How is this different from SIM card lock password protection, or log on password most phones have for ages, that now it will be mandated by another useless law? Or maybe that this new method can not be bypassed?
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I agree that 'kill switch' probably isn't the best term for it. My understanding, from the few articles I've read about it, is that it will lock the phone down until the Google account is verified. I'm not sure if that verification will be done via password entry, email verification, two-factor authentication, or some other means.
For an attacker using the methods I've previously mentioned, a SIM lock would pose a problem, but lockscreen passwords, patterns and pins are trivial to get around.
Like I said, it's not clear yet (from what I've found) how verification will be done to deactivate the 'kill switch', but if it does in fact require verifying the associated Google account in some way, a phone's legitimate owner would be out of luck, as somebody with the means and desire to activate the 'kill switch' in the first place would have no problem in also gaining complete and total control of the associated Google account.
I want to be clear that this is speculation based on my current understanding of a 'feature' that has not yet been released to the public. There may well be safeguards in place to prevent such things, and Google may still make changes before Lollipop is available to the public. I am not suggesting that people refrain from updating to Lollipop when and if an update becomes available. I also want to emphasize that even if the 'feature' is released with such inherent vulnerabilities, that it is not something the average user should every worry about. The odds of anyone randomly being a victim of such an attack are practically non-existant.
That being said, this is XDA. Most members here are fairly technical-minded (at least compared to the general public), and are interested in knowing and realizing the full potential of their devices. As such, I think it should at least be known that such vulnerabilities as I've mentioned do exist, and attacks may be made that much worse, depending on how Google implements the 'kill switch' feature. However remote it may be, it's a possibility, and something that people may or may not want to take into consideration.
Now you know, and knowing is half the battle. G.I. Joe....
Not really a sound reason to avoid lollipop in my opinion. If you're concerned about the remote tracking (that already exists) and the upcoming kill switch; after root, find the associated files and freeze or delete them. The mobile tracker came off my phone right after Knox, not for any reason other than the fact it eats battery like crazy. There's always work arounds to their technology, but as far as the nsa, or any other group or morons listening to you; the chances of you as an individual being targeted are 1 in 136,149,000 (in the US). I don't care if you have 50,000 stolen mp3's on your device and like to try and steal old ladies bank account numbers with your tablet, it's chump change to them and having the mindset that they're listening is as bad as these people who prepare for dooms day, zombie apocalypse, and everything else... it's just crazy. If your concerns are a kill switch, then you might as well stay in your house because there's cameras everywhere out there, your ps3 and Xbox cameras can be accessed if you're on the Web, there's hundreds of satellites circling the globe gathering information, and every thought, search or anything you've done on the Web is accessible whether you delete your history or not. If your computer has been there, there's a footprint, if you used a vpn or tried playing shadow games to hide your identity, it can be traced if they want to. Life is too short top worry about such silly things. Live it up and have fun!
Just my 2 cents for the night.
Do you wear a tin foil hat too?? Whether you like it or not, you're on the grid already. There is no getting off. The NSA wants you, they're gonna get you. Good luck running
That is very true. But as more people protest, the companies are actually fighting back against the government. Like Yahoo against the NSA and Facebook against the DEA, people just need to keep letting know that we won't tolerate getting stripped buttass naked of our personal privacy.
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nighthawk626 said:
That is very true. But as more people protest, the companies are actually fighting back against the government. Like Yahoo against the NSA and Facebook against the DEA, people just need to keep letting know that we won't tolerate getting stripped buttass naked of our personal privacy.
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Just look at Apple. They're getting a lot of heat for the filevault encryption software.
Apple has had their legs spread open and panties dropped for the government since day one.
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nighthawk626 said:
Apple has had their legs spread open and panties dropped for the government since day one.
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The same and to a greater extent can be said about facebook.
here, http://www.xda-developers.com/android/android-l-lockdown/, right on topic of this thread.
nighthawk626 said:
That is very true. But as more people protest, the companies are actually fighting back against the government. Like Yahoo against the NSA and Facebook against the DEA, people just need to keep letting know that we won't tolerate getting stripped buttass naked of our personal privacy.
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Dog and pony show to give a false sense of privacy from these companies to their customers... See the yahoo gag order and the by-the-day increasing fines that the government was imposing to them unless they allowed them to access their data. If the government wants it, they will get it, no matter how 'safe' these clowns make you believe otherwise
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I think a lot of you are missing my point. I'm not worried about the NSA, big brother, or anonymity (or rather the lack thereof). Those are concerns, of course, but I think everyone here knows that if you have any sort of cell phone, they can track and monitor you, and probably are.
What I'm worried about is the potential for random people gaining access to your phone and its' associated accounts and activating this 'kill switch', essentially leaving you with a paper weight. As I've already stated, I am not entirely sure that such a thing will be possible, as I have not seen the source code or all the minute details about how Google is implementing this. However, if it is implemented as described in the articles I've found about it, without any further security measures, there could be a problem.
If it is as described, I would have no problem remotely accessing a device, seizing control of the associated Google account, and activating the 'kill switch', without the device's owner ever having a clue it was happening. Of course I wouldn't do such a thing, especially to random people just for the 'lulz', but we all know there are people that would.
Hopefully that made some sense....I've been awake for too long lol
Not like hackers can't do that already...
Come on man.
Welcome to the 21st century.
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I don't know about you guys but I did have an LG L9 that I completely bricked. Now the thing would not turn on, no lights, nothing. But with some research, .exe file on my computer, and directions from some very savvy people I was able to plug in my phone to the computer while pressing three buttons that got me onto fast boot mode. This is where I was able to delete the system and install each partition bit by bit. Took helluva long time with multiple tries to finally get it working but it did. My two cents.
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