Monthly security updates are promised by Samsung and Google for Android

Nervous Android users concerned about whether their phone is vulnerable to the “Stagefright” security bug and other vulnerabilities can rest a little easier after Google’s announcement that it will issue monthly updates to protect devices from hackers. But Samsung appears to be determined, at least with respect to its own devices. Many have already issued fixes, but several have gone a step further, and announced they will be sending out security patches on a regular basis.

The complicated Android ecosystem, where mobile operators and handset makers serve as gatekeepers to software updates, has traditionally made it hard for Google to push out any kind of update to all end users. So Google will develop updates and test them on Nexus devices, then Samsung and LG will implement the necessary security patches on their devices as soon as they’re ready. They also mention that Stagefright will essentially be a non-issue in Android M, although we kind of expected as much. This will fast track patches when new vulnerabilities are uncovered.

“With the recent security issues, we have been rethinking the approach to getting security updates to our devices in a more timely manner”, said Dong Jin Koh, executive vice president of Samsung Electronics’ mobile research and development department.

While Google hasn’t confirmed yet that the new Nexus device will indeed be manufactured by Chinese brand Huawei, a 10-second blurry video has been leaked and purportedly, it is the rumored smartphone.

According to Ludwig, improvements to recent versions of Android would limit an attack’s effectiveness in more than nine out of 10 phones, but Drake said an attacker could keep trying until the gambit worked.

KRX:066570) (OTCMKTS:LGEAF) recently announced plans to roll out security updates for Android users every month. Samsung has not given any specifics about which devices will be support or for how long. In addition to security fixes, the monthly OTA updates will include general bug fixes, but the focus is primarily on security improvements.