- Android 16 may include additional protection against USB hacks
- The function has been detected in code in the current beta
- USB accessories would not work on a blocked smartphone
If a possible hacker can get physical access to your phone, you have a set of additional security problems to worry about, but it seems that Android 16 will introduce a new way of blocking your data and protecting against USB access.
As seen by the Android Authority team, the hidden code in the last Beta de Android 16 versions suggests the USB data signaling, the ability to run software on a phone through the USB port, can be disabled by the user.
This optional additional aspect is included as part of the advanced protection mode, a broader set of security characteristics. This mode is aimed at phone owners with greater risk of piracy attacks, and comes with several additional data protections.
The advanced protection mode is not new, but we hope you get some improvements with Android 16, including automatic reset for inactive phones (theoretically frustrating thieves who do not have the passwords or biometric data to log in).
Remain protected
Attend
In general terms, Android phones (and devices in general) trust more on the peripherals that are directly connected. Nobody wants to write a password every day just to use the keyboard and mouse of your computer, for example.
However, this additional trust (and additional convenience when it comes to using your hardware and accessories) can lead to security vulnerabilities: it is through the local access route in which many devices can be broken.
The code found by Android Authority suggests that you must unlock your phone, with a fingerprint or a facial exploration, for example, before you can plug accessories that can communicate with your device and use USB data signaling.
We will have to wait and see exactly how it works: Android 16 will be launched in the coming months, but the advanced protection mode remains optional, so your choice is whether or not to bear some more inconveniences in exchange for better security.
