Most Android Users Haven't Had a Security Patch in a While, Report Shows

A huge chunk of Android users on US major carriers haven't patched their phones in a while, making them the perfect targets for cybercriminals. 

According to a research released by cybersecurity company Skycure, 71% of Android phones on the five major US carriers haven't updated to the latest security version.

By not installing that latest security update, hackers can build tools to break into your phone. The patches companies release for any product help fix security flaws discovered in previous versions and, thus, close the door to those trying to exploit them. Android is one good example of operating system that always issues security patches to fix vulnerabilities that could give hackers great control over phones, including root privileges.

With the prevalence of malware nowadays, it's of utmost importance to always update when possible.

The Skycure study takes into account Android users with a contract signed with carriers T-Mobile, MetroPCS, AT&T, Verizon and Spring.

Google admits update problem

Google also recently released a security report regarding Android, in which it is mentioned that they're trying to distribute monthly security updates for the operating system. The problem with some of the phones people use is that the updates are delayed. If we're not talking about a select few recent models, or Google's own devices, it's going to take a while to get an update to your phone.

This is that much truer for customers of the five aforementioned carriers since the updates first go to the carriers and then they are sent to users' phones.

There's always room to improve security, including when it comes to mobile operating systems and Google has been working on nixing any problems it encounters, while also trying to fight against the threats posed to users of all its services, Android included. The company does acknowledge there's a problem with receiving updates, however, as an official blog post admits that about half of devices in use at the end of 2016 had not received a platform security update in the previous year.