Privacy and security have become increasingly important in today’s world, as cases of data theft continue to emerge frequently. To ensure the safety of their users, companies like Samsung take various measures, one of which is Samsung Knox.
What Is Samsung Knox?
At its core, Samsung Knox is designed to secure devices by safeguarding them against malware, network attacks, and malicious threats. It’s built into the hardware and software of most Samsung Galaxy devices, providing a robust security framework right from the moment you power on your device. It helps store your personal data inside a protected environment.
According to Samsung, “Samsung Knox is a business platform for configuring and managing mobile devices – offering efficient and customized use in various industries. Keep your mobile infrastructure connected, protected, and productive”.
Why Was Samsung Knox Created?
Samsung introduced Knox with the Galaxy Note 3, aiming to cater to the growing trend of using personal devices for work purposes, known as “Bring Your Own Device” (BYOD). Knox’s initial goal was to ensure that corporate data remained secure on employees’ personal phones.
Today, Samsung Knox is available on an extensive list of Samsung Galaxy smartphones and tablets, making it available not only to enterprise customers but also to general users. Knox offers protection at both the hardware and software levels, which is symbolised by the “Secured by Knox” branding. If you see this badging while booting up your device or in the ‘About Phone’ section under Software Version as ‘Knox Version’, you should know that Samsung Knox protects your device.
Read More: Samsung Galaxy S24+ Review: More Ultra Than Galaxy S24 Ultra?
What All Comes Under Samsung Knox?
As of now, Samsung Knox’s primary security platform includes the following features:
- Root of Trust
- Knox Vault
- Trusted Boot
- Real-time Kernel Protection
- Device Health Attestation
- Sensitive Data Protection
- App Security
These features help protect sensitive data on your device. The Knox Vault protects data such as hardware-backed Android Keystore keys, Samsung Attestation Key, biometric data, and blockchain credentials. Until now, it was only available on flagships launched since Galaxy S21. For the first time, Samsung is bringing the same to its Galaxy A-series devices, including the newly launched Galaxy A55 5G and Galaxy A35 5G.
Samsung’s Knox Vault offers comprehensive protection against both hardware and software attacks by constructing a secure execution environment that is physically isolated from the system’s central Processor and memory. It can help protect the most critical data on a device, including lock screen credentials, such as PIN codes, passwords and patterns. Only a user with the correct lock screen credentials can access their data, even if the device is lost or stolen.
Features like Trusted Boot identify and distinguish unauthorised or out-of-date bootloaders before they can compromise the device. In case of such an event, a hardware tamper fuses the Samsung devices come equipped with get triggered, permanently encrypting sensitive work apps and data on the device. This action is irreversible, so some apps like Samsung Pay, Secure Folder, and more also stop working as they rely on Samsung Knox for user security.
Secure folders are another feature that has Samsung Knox at its core. The folder is protected by the defence-grade Samsung Knox security platform, which encrypts all data stored there, keeping your information safe from malicious attacks. You can also add a passcode or biometric lock to keep your data safe from prying eyes.
Secure Folder basically creates a private, encrypted space on your Samsung Galaxy phone. Apps and data moved to Secure Folder are kept separately on the device, away from the generally accessible data, and gain an “additional layer of security and privacy.”
Which Samsung Devices Support Knox?
While most Samsung smartphones and tablets are bundled with Knox, a few exceptions exist. These exceptions include some budget-friendly devices running a simplified version of One UI called One UI Core, which lacks Knox protection. This omission is due to the need for extra hardware and resources to enable all of Knox’s essential features.
Knox represents Samsung’s vision of combining security with convenience. It’s a solution that has evolved over time to meet the changing needs of mobile device users, particularly in the corporate sector. Knox has achieved more global government security and third-party analyst certifications than any other device, platform, or operating system. With over 1 billion Samsung devices secured by Knox, it’s clear that Samsung has established a trusted platform that users can rely on for their security needs.