Google’s cellular working system Android will now routinely reboot if the cellphone is locked for 3 days in a row.
On Monday, the tech large pushed updates to Google Play companies, a core a part of Android that gives functionalities for apps and the working system itself. Listed below “Safety & Privateness” is a brand new security characteristic that, “will routinely restart your system if locked for 3 consecutive days.”
Final yr, Apple rolled out the identical characteristic for iOS. The pondering behind including an computerized reboot after a sure interval of inactivity is to make life harder for somebody who’s making an attempt to unlock or extract knowledge from a cellphone; for instance, regulation enforcement utilizing a forensic evaluation system like these made by Cellebrite or Magnet Forensics.
Earlier than a cellphone is switched on and unlocked, sure knowledge saved inside is absolutely encrypted and more durable to entry with out the person’s passcode. This is called the “Earlier than First Unlock” state. As soon as unlocked, however, some knowledge will get decrypted and may probably be accessed by bruteforcing the passcode or benefiting from security flaws, which is mostly how regulation enforcement forensic units work. This state is called “After First Unlock.”
Google didn’t reply to a request for remark, asking what was the motivation behind this new characteristic.
