If you are one of those people who are a bit paranoid that anyone can hack their smartphone, take a look at this list of 5 most hackable smartphones to avoid and make sure that yours is not one of them. If it is, better choose some safer option. When it comes to smartphone market today, there is an ongoing battle between Android and iPhone. Besides the design, battery life, weight and of course the best camera, the tech industry is trying to build the most secure products possible. Although there is no ultimately secure smartphone (at least one it comes to ones available to everyone), users often want to know how secure their phone is when compared to other brands.
According to an article published by USA Today, there is really no completely safe smartphone, but Apple is currently regarded as the most secure smartphone available on the market. This position was once held by BlackBerry. The company’s vetting process and sandboxing system keep apps from accessing other apps, which is the most common way to hack a smartphone. When it comes to Android phones, they are protected by strong encryption codes. For example, Android Marshmallow uses 128-bit encryption, but there are stronger ones available as well. Larger bit number means that it is harder to break the code and protection is better. The greatest danger to Android users is the open app system. While Apple’s apps have to be vetted by the company, Google allows its users to run unauthorized apps as well. These unauthorized apps can contain malicious code which will allow intruders to hack your phone.
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Hacking someone’s phone is usually done by rooting. Rooting is a process used to exploit security holes in the Android operating system. While you can do it to someone else, many people choose to root their own phones in order to gain access to various system files and hardware settings. It is interesting that when you read about “most hackable” smartphones, a lot of people actually ask how to hack their own phones rather than someone else’s. Of course, when it comes to the security of personal data, a lot depends on the user and if he/she is responsible, chances of being hacked are minimized. We’ve already dealt with this topic a little bit and you should definitely check out an article about 7 most and least secure cell phones in the world.
In order to compile this list of 5 most hackable smartphones to avoid, I’ve consulted a couple of sources. I’ve looked into Quora threads on which smart phones are best for hacking and how to hack Android phone. I read various articles on hacking smartphones and generally, there is a way to hack every smartphone and the hardest one is definitely Apple’s iPhone. The best source of information for this list is an article published by Information Week website. It is based on a study of the world’s most popular smartphones and their security. I’ve singled out 5 least secure smartphones from their study in order to compile this list. They are ranked according to the order as it was published on the above mentioned website. Safer smartphones are at the bottom and most hackable (or least safe) one are at the top of the list. Let’s see which most hackable smartphones to avoid :
5. HTC Wildfire
Next in line on our list of most hackable smartphones to avoid is HTC, a Taiwan-based manufacturer who released their first commercial Android smartphone in 2008. Today, they manufacture both, Android and Windows-based smartphones. When it comes to rooting HTC Wildfire, HTC Super Tool is often recommended. It is a user-developed unofficial hack for a variety of HTC devices, including HTC Wildfire.
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4. Sanyo Zio
Since I’m not a technology nerd, I definitely had to look up this one. Yes, I know about Samsung, Apple, HTC and Sony Ericsson but about Sanyo Zio, I don’t. Well, it turns out that besides its place on a list of most hackable smartphones, this one could end up on a list of smartphones which you will probably never want to buy. It is a midrange Android phone from Sprint. If you read the review from Phone Arena, security will be least of your worries.
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3. Sony Ericsson Xperia X10
If you type in Google search “Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 hack“, the list of ways how to hack this smartphone will be pretty long. There is even a step by step guide how to hack this phone in order to load custom ROMS and hacks. While many individuals believe that rooting their phone will have more benefits than risks, they are wrong. Phone operators and mobile networks place certain restrictions for a reason and this reason is usually security. Gaining root access means that you had to circumvent the security restrictions meaning that viruses and various types of malware can now infect your phone. Now, let’s see the top two most hackable smartphones to avoid on our list
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2. HTC Desire
Just as it is the case with HTC Wildfire which we mentioned previously on our list of 5 most hackable smartphones, HTC Super Tool is used for hacking/rooting. This tool will allow anyone to root or unlock/relock the bootloader as well as do a SIM unlock. It can also re-enable or disable the Sense UI. To cut the story short, if you have HTC Desire or HTC Wildfire, this hack tool will help you do miracles with your phone. Of course, if you are a bit naughty, then we are probably talking about someone else’s phone.
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1. Samsung Galaxy Mini
Samsung Galaxy Mini is also susceptible to rooting. According to Android Authority, the easiest way to root this phone is through the use of SuperOneClick. If this doesn’t work, there is an alternative offered as well. After you root your phone, you disable the Android-specific mobile anti-malware tool. Imagine if your computer operated without any antivirus system, it would be chaotic. The same happens with your phone because malware that can be introduced during the process of rooting can gain access to contact lists, emails, passwords and other confidential data. An interesting article on this topic deals with security risks in more detail and according to a survey completed between Market Cube and Lookout, 7% of people stated that they rooted their phone. Yes, it sounds like a very small percentage but 85% of federal employees used their phones to share work documents or store them on personal file sharing apps. Yummy treat for those who know how to use security holes and access person’s private files. This list of 5 most hackable smartphones to avoid can help you avoid the risky smartphones or choose them to practice your rooting skills. Anyhow, if you choose to root your smartphone, don’t forget that you are doing it at your own risk.
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