Cybersecurity Starts With the Device in Your Hand
For many Malaysians, the smartphone has become an essential part of everyday life. We use it to communicate, shop online, access banking services, work, store personal information and manage an increasingly large part of our digital lives.
Unfortunately, this also makes smartphones an attractive target for cybercriminals.
Online scams are becoming more sophisticated, combining fake identities, social engineering and increasingly convincing AI-driven techniques to trick unsuspecting victims. As cyber threats continue to evolve, relying solely on users to identify suspicious messages, links or applications may no longer be enough.
This is where built-in device security becomes increasingly important. Samsung believes protection should begin at the device level, with technologies such as Samsung Knox working quietly in the background to help protect users from evolving digital threats.
Malaysia’s Growing Cost of Online Scams
The scale of Malaysia’s online scam problem highlights why stronger digital protection is needed.
According to figures presented by Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Mohd Khalid Ismail during the Combat Scam: Two Teams, One Goal campaign launch in Kuala Lumpur on 15 June 2026, Malaysia recorded 66,204 online scam cases during the first half of 2026 alone.
That represented an 87% increase compared with the same period in the previous year.
The financial impact has also been significant. Victims reportedly lost RM2.97 billion to scams in 2025, an increase of RM1.40 billion compared with 2024. Phone scams remained among the frequently reported types of cases.
These numbers demonstrate that cybersecurity is no longer an issue limited to technology experts or large corporations. It is something that affects ordinary smartphone users every day.
Samsung Knox: Security Built Into the Device
Samsung Knox takes a different approach by integrating multiple layers of protection directly into compatible Samsung devices.
One example is Samsung Message Guard, which is designed to help detect and isolate potentially harmful content received through messages. Its purpose is to reduce the risk of malicious files exploiting vulnerabilities on a device.
Google Play Protect also works alongside Samsung’s security features by scanning applications for potentially harmful software.
Samsung Knox additionally includes technologies designed to monitor device behaviour and system activity. Real-time Kernel Protection, for example, monitors activity at the system level, while Samsung Defeat Exploit (DEFEX) is designed to restrict unusual application behaviour.
The idea is relatively straightforward: rather than expecting users to recognise every potential threat themselves, security measures can operate in the background and provide an additional layer of protection.
Samsung also offers up to seven years of security updates on selected devices, although availability and timing can vary depending on the model, market and network provider.
Security Extends to Samsung’s New Galaxy Z Series
Samsung’s focus on built-in protection also extends to its latest foldable smartphones, including the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, Galaxy Z Fold8 and Galaxy Z Flip8.
Samsung Knox is enabled by default from the moment these devices are switched on, providing security as part of the overall device experience rather than as something users need to install separately.
The new Galaxy Z Series also introduces Knox Vault, a tamper-resistant hardware-based security environment designed to isolate sensitive information such as passwords, biometric data and other credentials from the rest of the device.
Another layer comes from Knox Enhanced Encrypted Protection (KEEP), which creates dedicated encrypted storage for individual applications.
Running on One UI 9, the new Galaxy Z Series also includes Privacy Alerts designed to flag suspicious background permission requests.
For users who store sensitive information, access financial applications or regularly use their smartphones for work, these additional layers can provide greater peace of mind.
Businesses Face a Different Kind of Threat
Cybersecurity concerns are not limited to individual consumers.
Businesses are increasingly dealing with threats such as Business Email Compromise, malware and targeted attacks against connected devices.
According to figures reported by Bernama citing Kaspersky findings, Malaysian organisations lost more than RM7.5 million through Business Email Compromise incidents between 2023 and the first half of 2025. During the first half of 2025, Malaysia also recorded 190,556 exploit attempts targeting businesses.
For organisations managing hundreds or thousands of smartphones, tablets and other connected devices, protecting individual users is only part of the challenge.
Samsung Knox provides enterprise-focused tools designed to give IT administrators greater visibility and control over connected devices.
Managing Security Across Large Device Fleets
Through Knox Suite, organisations can manage devices, monitor their health, control updates and strengthen security policies across larger fleets.
Tools such as Knox Asset Intelligence Security Center provide visibility into device performance and security conditions, while Knox E-FOTA allows IT teams to manage operating system updates more systematically.
Knox Device Health Attestation can also help organisations verify whether devices meet specific security requirements before allowing access to corporate resources.
This approach supports the growing Zero Trust security model, where access is continuously verified rather than automatically trusted simply because a device or user is already inside an organisation’s network.
Samsung also highlights hardware-backed Knox On-Device Attestation for Microsoft Intune Mobile Application Management, secure access controls and threat monitoring capabilities mapped to the MITRE ATT&CK framework.
Security Should Start Before Something Goes Wrong
The biggest takeaway is perhaps the simplest: cybersecurity should not be something users think about only after becoming a victim.
As scams become more convincing and cybercriminals adopt new technologies, smartphones need to be treated as an important first line of defence.
No security platform can eliminate every cyber threat, and users still need to practise good digital habits. Avoiding suspicious links, using strong passwords, enabling multi-factor authentication and keeping devices updated remain important.
However, built-in security can provide an additional layer that works behind the scenes.
With Samsung Knox, Samsung’s approach is to make device security an integrated part of the smartphone experience. From protecting messages and applications to securing sensitive credentials and helping businesses manage large fleets, the goal is to make digital protection more proactive.
In an environment where one suspicious message can potentially lead to serious financial or personal consequences, having security built into the device itself is becoming less of a luxury and more of a necessity.
For the latest news, please visit the Samsung Newsroom at news.samsung.com.
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