There are many ways to protect the data stored in the smartphone's memory from disclosure or leakage, but the main ones are still passwords, biometrics and encryption. The first block access to the device in front of strangers, the second allows the owner not to enter security combinations at each entry, and the third is aimed at protecting against interception or attempts to bypass the password. But for some reason, practically no one thinks that passwords, biometrics, and even encryption keys also need to be somehow protected, and that creating entities, trying to protect one by the other, is completely meaningless in this matter. So Samsung went the route Apple that ate the dog to keep its users safe.
Samsung is committed to your safety. But she cares more about the safety of Galaxy S20 owners.
The Galaxy S20 is the first Samsung smartphone to feature a dedicated Secure Element coprocessor designed to securely store passwords, billing information, biometrics and cryptocurrency accounts. It is based on the S3K250AF security chip. I doubt that this combination of numbers and letters will tell you anything, so I'll just say that this microcircuit has passed all the necessary checks and received a certificate of the highest level of data protection among mobile devices. Apple has a similar coprocessor called the Secure Enclave, although it is not known whether someone evaluated it on the same principle as the Secure Element.
What is Secure Element
Galaxy S20 is almost as secure as iPhone
Secure Element is a complex component that is responsible not only for the secure storage of data, but also counteraction to all kinds of attacks, effectively recognizing them and blocking them automatically. In fact, it is a hardware analogue of the Knox software technology used in all Samsung smartphones and tablets, with the only exception that it not only encrypts confidential information, but also creates a separate section for them in memory, which will be even more difficult to access. than hacking Knox algorithms.
How manufacturers protect their smartphones
Although the need for secure storage of confidential data and biometric information has been around for a long time, until now only a few manufacturers have paid attention to this aspect. Some of the most famous vendors that have provided protection for their devices with a dedicated coprocessor include Apple and Google. But the rest for the most part were limited only to software implementation of secure storage, preferring not to shell out for a dedicated hardware component.
I don’t presume to judge how perfect the Secure Element mechanism is in reality, but I can say with absolute certainty that it will not protect you from your own stupidity and negligence. Perhaps it will really protect the image of your fingerprint and access passwords to your accounts from theft, but if you install malware on the device yourself and give it all the requested privileges, be prepared for the fact that all SMS, calls, photos and other information is easy and simple will end up in the hands of intruders, and no hardware sensors will protect you from this.