Google can easily reset your android devices, running older versions of android, if the court demands it to. This has come into the public notice after a document was prepared by the New York District Attorney’s office expounding upon this fact.
Google can reset the passcodes if they are served with a search warrant and with instructions to assist law enforcement for extracting the device’s data. Google can do such resets remotely and allow the device’s content to be viewed by the forensic examiners.
The glitch was first noticed by Ben Woods, of the next web. While going through the documents, he noticed that Android 5.0 features full disk encryption and that they cannot be reset be reset remotely by Google. However, one needs to turn on the disk encryption in the settings.
This means that if your device is running older versions of Android then their passwords can be reset by Google, in case a need arises and a court demands it to. However, this can be done only if they use pattern lock. Passwords cannot be reset remotely for phones which use PIN or passcodes.
Around 74.1 percent of the Android users use older versions of Android, which puts them at great risk. However, the situation is not as grave as it seems because users can use PINs or Passcodes or fingerprints to circumvent such situations.
‘Google has no ability to facilitate unlocking any device that has been protected with a PIN, Password, or fingerprint.” said Google’s Adrian Ludwig in his post for clarifying the situation.
The report further found out that forensic examiners can even bypass passcodes if right forensic techniques were used.
Some experts have begun calling it a major security flaw in the Android OS which exposes the vulnerability of the Android OS and exposes users to cyber-criminals.
Earlier, researchers at the University of Texas at Austin had found a glitch, in the latest version, which had the potential to expose millions of users to the potential risk of criminals. They found that the phones can be crashed if a long string of password was used while using the camera app. This exposes the phone’s home-screen and also the need for using a correct password. Hackers could easily manipulate this vulnerability to access personal files on the device as well as install malware to remotely control the device.
The NY District Attorney’s report also made comparisons with iPhones. iPhone users can breathe a sigh of relief as iPhones feature full disk encryption, which protects them against such risks. The full disk encryption is, by default, switched on devices running iOS 8 or above. Any law enforcement agencies will find it extremely tough to view the contents of the iPhones as even Apple cannot reset the password.
