Older mobile phones are a ‘security concern’

Thousands of people with Android phones and tablets could be vulnerable to hackers because they are no longer supported by security updates, new research has suggested.

A report by consumer group Which? says more than one billion devices around the world are unsecure after finding that about 40% of Android users were running older versions of the software, which no longer receives security updates from Google.

Android is the world's most popular mobile operating system and as a result, Which? says there are potentially millions of smartphone users at risk of data theft and other cyber attacks.

Older versions of mobile operating systems, generally those more than two years old, often have security updates from developers stopped - with firms such as Google encouraging users to update to a newer version of the operating system to best secure the device from modern cyber threats.

Which? computing editor Kate Bevan argued that consumers should be able to rely on longer periods of support for their mobile devices.

He said: "It's very concerning that expensive Android devices have such a short shelf life before they lose security support, leaving millions of users at risk from hackers.

"Google and phone manufacturers need to be upfront about security updates, with clear information about how long they will last .”

A Google spokesman said: "We're dedicated to improving security for Android devices and continually work with hardware and carrier partners to ensure that users have a fast, safe experience with their devices."