This week, WikiLeaks has published several documents that reveal details about the way in which the Central Intelligence Agency has hacked various tech products, such as Samsung TVs, Android devices, iPhones or Wi-Fi routers. If you are a tech user, then most likely you are using at least one of the above-mentioned products. The important thing to keep in mind here is the fact that the agency targeted older versions of the software systems, and since they did so, there were many security patches released or updates.
As such, the best thing to do if you want to protect your data and your device as best as you can is to be flexible and to keep an eye out for the latest systems and updates you can find. The documents have shown that the Android devices that were targeted by CIA’s hacking programs were running mostly Android 4.0, which equals around 30% of all the Android users, or 420 million people. Google also advises its users to use lock screens and PIN codes and to verify apps outside the Play Store for malware.
Regarding the iPhone devices, the documents revealed that the agency attacked only versions of iOS up to 8.2. Thankfully, only 5% of the users run an older version than iOS 9. However, the same advice mentioned above applies to Apple users too: do your best to secure your device by yourself.
The Samsung TVs seem to have a dangerous setting called Weeping Angel, which records whatever conversations you are having around it and then sends the info to the CIA. The company did not say whether security patches fixed that or if there is any particular solution to this, so probably it’s better to disconnect it from the Internet just to be sure.
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