Cybersecurity is a concept that is currently being changed by all cases. It's just that in the minds of some people it boils down to setting a "strong" password on a smartphone or computer or avoiding unsecured websites. The bad news is that this is not enough to protect yourself from the dangers of using the web. However, Samsung Knox and the My Safe application can make our data - regardless of whether they are on a private or business smartphone - safe.
Smartphone - a handy database that tempts cybercriminals
It will not be too much of an exaggeration to say that we can find everything in a smartphone. Or at least - almost everything, and photos or private messages are just a drop in the ocean of data that is on the phone. Currently, the standard is also access to the Internet from a smartphone. And that's what makes us vulnerable to data loss or theft more than ever. While we try to protect our computers, we often forget about smartphones. Meanwhile, smartphones are increasingly used not only to keep in touch or entertain, but also to work. Therefore, the threat of data theft concerns not only the phone user, but also, more and more often, the user's employer. And cybercriminals are well aware of this.
Samsung Knox - a multi-level security strategy
How to protect your smartphone data from theft? Specialists, hearing this question, usually start enumerating possible solutions. Their use increases the level of security, but the problem is that most often these activities are not related to each other in any way, and therefore - completely uncoordinated. However, there are solutions available on the market that are multi-level, and each subsequent "layer" of security complements the previous one. As a result, we get a well-thought-out tool that we can also adapt to our own needs. And without much effort. We are talking about Samsung Knox, a comprehensive security system.
It all starts with hardware
It's something we're usually not used to when it comes to security of any kind - it's hardware-based, inside-out protection installed before the device even leaves the factory . In the case of Samsung Knox, the hardware of the phone is specially modified; mechanisms are installed that protect the smartphone "from the inside". The first is the security module (Hardware Root of Trust). Its element is a special security key (Device Root Key). The key is installed in the device already at the production stage - it is unique for each smartphone.
The next mechanisms are Secure Boot and Trusted Boot (protect the phone against loading a modified version of Android) and TrustZone-based Integrity Measurement Architecture (protects the very kernel of the operating system - it does not allow it to be modified by malware). Knox, moreover, in this aspect does not disguise in the means. If TIMA detects an attack, the secured space of the smartphone is blocked and the data that was there can never be accessed. Right at the time of the attack. An important element of Knox security is also Security Enhancements for Android, effectively blocking applications from outside the Knox environment from accessing protected data.
The "My Safe" application - something that will protect us from our own mistakes
Who hasn't accidentally installed something on their phone at least once, which later turned out to be malware, even though it pretended to be a useful application? Or who is not afraid that the PIN is not enough to prevent a potential phone thief from getting to our private data? Exactly. At the same time, we are afraid that we will spend a fortune on additional security. However, it turns out that there is a solution available completely for free. And it is the My Safe application, which can be downloaded for free, e.g. from Google Play.
My Safe is an application that can be installed on a smartphone or tablet, and its main advantage is the creation of the so-called data container. This means that instead of one smartphone, we actually have ... two. One, whose data is public and available after unlocking the phone, and the other, completely private, access to which is additionally protected. We decide what will be in the container. We can transfer to it, for example, some applications (especially banking!), documents or photos. To open the container, it is necessary to enter the password / long PIN code or put your finger on each time so that the device recognizes your fingerprint.
Thanks to this, we have two-stage protection at the level of access to the data contained in the device. Importantly, it is protection not only against unauthorized access, but also against malware. Everything in the container is also protected against cybercriminal attacks. The container is thus a virtual safe that can only be accessed by us - if we know how. In turn, when we want to return to the "main" desktop, My Safe will lock automatically after a few minutes (or immediately if we lock it manually).
A thief stole your phone? Relax. Remotely lock or wipe your phone
What if someone just physically steals your phone instead of hacking it with cyberattacks? Samsung anticipates such a scenario. Just go to findmymobile.samsung.com and then sign in to your Samsung account. Thanks to this, you can easily track the phone and even wipe the data on it.
It's worth remembering that thanks to the factory-installed key, even trying to copy all the data from one device to another without proper permission ... is simply not possible. Access to sensitive data stored in My Safe is therefore possible only on a specific device and only after entering the appropriate password.
Knox as a tool in the hands of employers
Protecting data on a smartphone is currently a problem not only for average phone users, but also for their ... employers. An entrepreneur who decides to give a company smartphone to an employee may be concerned about the security of data on the entrusted equipment. And yet, these are most often confidential data made available only to employees - directly related to the work they do. No entrepreneur can afford such data to flow outside the company. And sometimes it happens as a result of inadequate security. An employee installs something on a company phone, and the application turns out to be malware that transfers all data to cybercriminals.
How can you protect yourself from such a situation and at the same time not be an employer who constantly controls the employee? Samsung Knox solves this problem as well. The commercial version of the My Safe application allows, for example, the employer to determine in advance what applications the employee will be able to install on the company's equipment. Thus, it will protect the device (and the employee) against malware. The entire configuration takes place in the cloud, i.e. completely remotely - the employer does not need to have physical access to the device. Importantly, the employer can fully control the company container, while allowing the employee for private matters in the zone outside the container. Thanks to this, the employer can be sure that business data is well protected, and the employee that the employer does not interfere in his private zone
Save time and money while protecting at the highest level
Samsung Knox, due to multi-level security, is a platform offering security at the highest level. The My Safe application itself (regardless of the version) is intuitive, easy to use and, above all, absolutely effective. The actions of individual mechanisms are coordinated with each other, everything is well thought out, and each subsequent protection complements the previous one. And yet it is worth remembering that the version for a regular user is simply ... free. In turn, the entrepreneur will gain comfort in many fields - and it's not just about cyber security. The employer may, at any time, upload to the "business containers" applications or content that are necessary for employees to perform their duties. As a result, My Safe can simply be a great tool for… communication with employees and faster data exchange. And which entrepreneur would not like to gain such a multifunctional tool?
This article was written in collaboration with Samsung
