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4 Titan M features that make Pixel 3 more secure than other Androids

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Although Google has been facing some heat from users as well as governments due to poor management of data, the company has supposedly been working hard to make their latest Pixel 3 flagship Android device the most secure one out there with Titan security.

Google has been working hard for security on its Android OS by releasing features like Google Play Protect and launching the Android One program that assures users timely monthly security updates two a supported device for three years as well as OS update for at least two years.

They’ve gone a step ahead and integrated enterprise-grade security chip in their Google Pixel 3 devices with Titan M hardware. It helps secure sensitive on-device data and OS.

“With Titan M, we took the best features from the Titan chip used in Google Cloud data centres and tailored it for mobile,” Google stated.

Also read: Why the iPhone has a Notch and why Pixel 3 XL’s doesn’t make much sense

4 ways Titan M protects the Pixel 3

4 Titan M features that make Pixel 3 more secure than other Androids

  • Secured bootloader: To protect the Pixel devices from outside tampering, Titan M has been integrated into ‘verified boot’ — Android secure boot process. With Titan M’s help, your phone’s bootloader ensures that you’re running the right version of Android. It also protects the bootloader from attackers who attempt to unlock it and prevents your device from being moved to an older version of Android that might be vulnerable.
  • Lock screen protection and on-device disk encryption: Pixel 3’s lock screen passcode is also verified by the Titan M chip, which limits the number of login attempts allowed — making it tougher to guess multiple password combinations. Data can only be decrypted upon successful verification of your passcode — making it tough for those with malicious intent to decrypt the data on your device.
  • Secure third-party apps transactions: Titan M chip also protects third-party apps and secures any sensitive transactions being done through them. The latest Android 9 Pie update will also enable apps to generate and store their private keys in Titan M via the StrongBox KeyStore APIs. Another new feature employed by the help of Titan M is ‘protected confirmation’, which helps ensure that the user has authorised a transaction and not a malware.
  • Insider attack resistance: Titan M also has the ‘insider attack resistance’ feature that helps prevent tampering it. Unless a user enters their passcode, Titan M’s cannot be updated. This deters any chances of a hacker trying to bypass the lock screen to update the firmware with a malicious version.

“With the Pixel 3, we’ve increased our investment in security and put industry-leading hardware features into the device, so you can rest assured that your security and privacy are well protected.”

Pixel 3 goes on sale on Thursday, October 18 in the US. Pre-orders for the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL have begun in India and they will start shipping on November 3 — around the same time that the OnePlus 6T will be available for sale.

In the News: You can now pre-order Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL starting at INR 17,000

Prayank

Prayank

Writes news mostly and edits almost everything at Candid.Technology. He loves taking trips on his bikes or chugging beers as Manchester United battle rivals. Contact Prayank via email: prayank@pm.me

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