Thai cyber police praise new Samsung security feature

The move comes amid a surge in cyber threats and unauthorised access to personal data that poses risks to personal finances.

The Auto Blocker feature simplifies protection against cyber threats with a single click.

"Cyberattacks are causing enormous damages to people today, and the occurrence keeps rising. Figures from 2023 show up to 20 billion baht of losses from 185,814 cases of cyberattacks, with a daily average of 700-800 cases," revealed Siriwat Deephor, deputy spokesperson of the Royal Thai Police (RTP).

Jessada Burinsuchat, superintendent of the RTP’s Cyber Security Investigation Unit, highlighted the diverse forms of cyberattacks, including phishing for personal data, scam calls, and sideloading. Sideloading involves downloading unsanctioned apps, malware, or viruses to devices, often through files obtained from the web, emails, or connected accessories.

As a response to these evolving threats, Samsung released the One UI 6.0 software update which includes the Auto Blocker, to protect users against sideloading attacks.

Auto Blocker's capabilities include app protection, pre-installation security verification, daily post-installation verification, and prevention against harmful commands or software installation via USB cable. These measures safeguard users in scenarios where their devices may be physically accessed, such as when charging at an airport or transferring files between devices.

Siriwat expressed appreciation for Samsung's cybercrime prevention.

"We are pleased that Samsung, as a private contributor, prioritises prevention of cybercrimes and has developed great innovations to help protect the people from cyber threats,” he said.

Samsung Galaxy users can activate the Auto Blocker feature by navigating to "Settings”, selecting "Security and Privacy", and enabling "Auto Blocker".