Samsung introduces Auto Blocker security measure in One UI 6
How many of you have friends or family members using a recent Samsung flagship mobile phone that could use additional protection against malware?
With an increasing severity in phone-related scams and Singaporean users left to fend for themselves against malware-type scams, it falls onto smartphone users to find additional ways to protect themselves while online.
Samsung has launched a new feature called Auto Blocker today (2 November 2023), designed for Samsung Galaxy users who want additional security measures for their Samsung phones.
Samsung Auto Blocker? What's that?
According to its official statement, Samsung’s Auto Blocker is an opt-in tool that tweaks certain settings to help protect users during normal phone use.
One feature is preventing the sideloadingof apps, which doesn’t allow the phone to install Android apps that don’t come from Samsung’s or Google’s official app stores.
Other additional features include controls that turn on app security checks which helps to identify potential malware-ridden apps. The tool also identifies potentially harmful commands and software installations made via USB cable.
All in all, Auto Blocker seems to protect users from common entry points arising from daily use — such as encountering malicious software, unintentional sideloading of apps, or even plugging in a cable when charging in public places (like airports).
“At Samsung we constantly strive to keep our users safe from security attacks, and with the introduction of Auto Blocker users can continue to enjoy the benefits of our open ecosystem, knowing that their mobile experience is secured. We always seek to empower our users to choose for themselves what best suits their needs – rather than us deciding on their behalf, and Auto Blocker is no exception to that,” said Dr. Seungwon Shin, EVP & Head of Security Team, Mobile eXperience Business at Samsung Electronics.
Also coming alongside Auto Blocker is an improvement to Message Guard, an existing security measure that mitigates zero-click attacks on your smartphone. The updated Message Guard extends compatibility to FB Messenger, Telegram, KakaoTalk, and WhatsApp, having covered default messaging apps from Google and Samsung previously.
How do I get Auto Blocker for my Samsung phone?
Auto Blocker is included as a part of Samsung’s One UI 6 firmware update for compatible Samsung Galaxy phones. One UI 6 update starts on 3 November 2023 for Singapore.
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