Samsung Message Guard protects you from new and unseen threats – Samsung Global Newsroom

The next big mobile security threat could happen to anyone, but Samsung Galaxy has a new line of defense.

Did you know that just receiving an image can be enough to let hackers in? While everyone knows not to open random links or attachments, this no longer guarantees security as cyber criminals are constantly exploring new attack methods.

No-click exploits are the latest type of cyberattack, and they can take place whenever an image is received. A single image could hide malicious code.

Although there have been no signs of such attacks on Samsung Galaxy smartphones, Samsung Electronics is constantly looking ahead to anticipate potential threats and develop preventative security measures. — like Samsung Message Guard.

New security for new threats

Imagine this: your phone receives an image. It vibrates gently in your pocket before coming to rest. Or it’s on your bedside table, lighting up briefly while you sleep. You haven’t touched your phone, but someone may already be reading your messages, browsing your gallery, and copying your bank details.

No-click exploits are just the latest threat in an era of growing cybercrime targeting user data. One in three consumers worldwide has been the victim of a data breach where their personal data has been hacked.¹ Data breaches are increasingly common, with rates more than tripling between 2013 and 2021.²

Threats evolve, and so does Samsung’s mobile security. Samsung Galaxy smartphones offer comprehensive protections with the powerful Samsung Knox platform, and users are already protected against attacks using video and audio formats. Samsung Message Guard takes this security one step further by preemptively protecting your device, limiting exposure to invisible threats disguised as email attachments.³

The security solution currently works on Samsung Messages and Messages by Google.⁴ In line with Samsung’s open collaboration philosophy, a software update will be rolled out later to enable Samsung Message Guard to protect you on third-party messaging apps as well.

A secure environment

Samsung Message Guard is an advanced “sandbox” or a kind of virtual quarantine. When an image file arrives, it is trapped and isolated from the rest of the device. This prevents malicious code from accessing your phone’s files or interacting with its operating system. Samsung Message Guard checks the file bit by bit and processes it in a controlled environment to make sure it can’t infect the rest of your device.

Simply put, Samsung Message Guard automatically neutralizes any potential threats hidden in image files before they have a chance to harm you. It also runs silently and largely invisibly in the background and does not need to be activated by the user. So where before you could be put at risk without doing anything, now you are protected from clickless exploits without lifting a finger.

Samsung Message Guard is just the latest forward-looking security solution from Samsung. Separately, Samsung Galaxy devices already offer industry-leading security and privacy protections in other areas, thanks to the award-winning Samsung Knox. This provides end-to-end protection across every layer of hardware and software, as well as real-time threat detection.

Availablity

Samsung Message Guard is a solution on Samsung Galaxy S23 series. It will gradually roll out to other Galaxy smartphones and tablets⁵ Later this year.

¹ Thales Consumer Digital Trust Index 2022, https://cpl.thalesgroup.com/data-trust-index.
² 2022 Data Breach Investigation Report, Verizon, https://www.verizon.com/business/resources/reports/dbir/.
³ Samsung Message Guard supports protection against the following image formats: PNG, JPG/JPEG, GIF, ICO, WEBP, BMP, WBMP.
⁴ The default messaging app varies by market.
⁵ A 5.1 or higher user interface.