OLD ANDROID VERSIONS AT RISK: REPORT

Millions of Android tablets are at the risk of being hacked, since they no longer get security updates, a report in Techradar has noted.

According to data released by an analytics firm, one in every eight tablets still runs on Android 4.4, which was released in October 2013. This version received its last security update in October 2017.

Techradar notes: “It was not long ago that tablets were regarded as the rightful heir to the laptop throne, spawning countless articles on why they were better than notebooks,” adding that it ultimately did not pan out that way.

According to reports, at least a billion devices that run on Android version 6.0 or older, including tablets, are the risk of contracting malware. These consist of Marshmallow, Lollipop, KitKat, Ice Cream Sandwich, and Gingerbread. These versions amount for over 40 per cent of the total Android devices in the world.

A Which? report notes, “Apple typically supports iPhones for around five years, and Microsoft will now continually update Windows 10 for the foreseeable future, having supported previous versions of Windows for up to a decade. By contrast, Google has whipped through Android versions like a hungry child set loose on the dessert trolley.”

While castigating Google for hurriedly introducing new versions of the Android each year, the report also notes that the Silicon Valley-based tech giant has been trying to improve security and privacy features to provide greater protection and transparency to the users.

Nevertheless, Android continues to be under attack from malware. According to TheBestVPN, Android had the highest number of vulnerabilities in 2019 compared to other operating systems.