For some, the mere fact that newer mobile phone models exist is reason enough to desire them. For others, the tried and true, trusty sidekick that has served them well (not to mention, that it took it 2 years to figure out how to use the thing) is more than adequate.
I confess to belonging to the first group because I love new technology. I also lean that direction because of my security roots.
As I mentioned in my previous post, old phones run old software and old software has old security bugs that haven’t been fixed.
In keeping with that theme, Graham Cluely recently wrote a thought provoking post entitled “If You Care About Security, Throw Away Your iPhone 4 Right Now.” OK, it’s a bit alarmist, but the underlying point is valid.
This isn’t picking on Apple because Android has the same issue. The point is that while newer doesn’t always mean better, when it comes to security you need to remember that …
old phone = unsupported = security bugs that won’t ever get fixed
Of course, the flip side of this is that …
new phone = not fully tested = new security bugs (that will, hopefully, one day get fixed)
Oh, and, by the way, the same holds true for operating systems, apps, etc.
So, what are you supposed to do? Balance is the key. Too old or too new is always going to be riskier than “just right.” I think Goldilocks said that in the sequel …
Inside Internet Security 