I will like to alert you of a rather disturbing vulnerability that was recently discovered, which has left close to 1 billion android phone users exposed.
This is the Stagefright vulnerability?
The Stagefright vulnerability is a critical android vulnerability that can be delivered via Multimedia Messaging Service, (MMS), without need of any action on your part. What makes it most frightening is that the file can auto delete itself, so, it is not a function of whether you click on it or not. As long as your phone stays exposed, a hacker can get in and remotely control your phone and do stuff like recording your calls or stealing your private data. This may not really mean so much for individuals or small businesses, but imagine the consequences for organisations that use android devices for business! We have always maintained on this platform that you should always take security measures to protect yourself.
I have some good, bad and funny news about this development. The good news is that patches for this vulnerability are being released at the moment, but the bad news is that it may take weeks or months before your OEM or device maker makes it available for you to download and run, so except you buy a brand new android phone today with the latest version, you might be exposed for a long time to come.
Now, here is the funny news. I am also exposed. I downloaded Stagefright detector app and it showed that I also need to run the patch. Here I am, informing you about this issue and I am exposed too. You can now see why they say Technology respects no one! The purpose of this tip is for you to keep checking until it is available for your phone. You should, therefore, be vigilant.
