Just last week we reported on an Android security scare in the form of Stagefright where a simple MMS can basically allow a hacker to take control of a phone remotely. Carriers and OEMs scrambled to release patches to fix the issue, and later we saw companies such as Google and Samsung vow to release monthly security patches.
Now the good news is that if you don’t own a Google Nexus device or a Samsung smartphone, you’re in luck as LG has chimed in as well and has also promised monthly device updates. This was confirmed by an LG rep to an email sent to the folks at WIRED, so it looks like LG customers will also be covered. Considering Samsung and LG make up 78% of the US Android market sales, safe to say many users will be protected in the process.
According to the LG rep, “LG will be providing security updates on a monthly basis which carriers will then be able to make available to customers immediately. We believe these important steps will demonstrate to LG customers that security is our highest priority.” This is pretty good news especially when you consider that one of the things Android OEMs are notorious for is dragging their feet when it comes to updates.
In fact sometimes some OEMs choose not to bother updating a device more than two years old, but it looks like a simple but deadly security scare such as Stagefright has kicked things into gear, which is good news for everyone.