A Google account can be stolen by a criminal in a matter of minutes if the thief steals an Android smartphone by first calculating a four-digit device owner password to gain access to all data. It has been reported 9to5Google.
“This can happen easily on phones running the Android mobile operating system, because all it takes to change your Google account password is a PIN,” the article says.
Journalist Mishaal Rahman said that in the account settings on Android you can also access the Google profile, which is the same for all the company’s services.
According to him, even if the attacker actually took over the gadget, Google allows this method of authorization, since the request to change the password comes from “the owner’s device.”
“In this case, no additional verification is required other than the PIN code. Google suggests entering the current password first, but there is an option to select “Forgot password” and use the PIN on the smartphone instead,” Rahman said.
9to5Google pointed out that this makes it extremely easy for criminals to access all user data. Still, journalists concluded that since Apple smartphones are more valuable when reselling them, often thieves prefer to steal iPhones for this purpose.
Formerly The Wall Street Journal WroteThat the United States has noticed an increase in iPhone thefts on the streets. Before stealing a device, thieves have learned to spy on access codes to instantly hack the device.