Worried about WhatsApp snooping? Feature phones could be safer for calls, texts

New Delhi: In the wake of reported snooping attacks on smartphones owned by people who matter (WhatsApp-Pegasus spyware being the latest example), making that humble feature phone your secondary companion wont be a bad idea as it still has a smaller attack surface.

The feature phone in your pocket can be used for basic calling and texting requirements, keeping you away from the prying eyes of nation-state bad actors or individual hackers looking to spy on your data, as the device will be free of third-party apps that open possibilities of “backdoor” entry by hackers who exploit vulnerabilities lurking in the operating system and codes.

Smartphones today present more danger than ever. Researchers have found vulnerabilities that impact the camera apps of Android-based smartphones, presenting significant implications to hundreds of millions of smartphone users.