Latest news with #stingray
Android Authority
a day ago
- Android Authority
Android 16 can warn you if a fake cell tower is trying to spy on you
TL;DR Android 16 is adding a new security feature to warn you when your phone connects to a fake or insecure mobile network known as a 'stingray.' This feature alerts you to unencrypted connections or when the network requests your phone's identifiers, which helps protect against surveillance. Due to new hardware requirements, this protection will likely only be on new devices launching with Android 16, such as the upcoming Pixel 10. There are many simple things you can do to keep your private information safe, like using strong passwords, scrutinizing app permissions, and only installing apps from trusted sources. However, some attacks are much harder to protect yourself against, as they're so sophisticated and stealthy that they can happen without you ever noticing. One such attack tricks your phone into connecting to a fake, insecure mobile network, which is difficult for the average person to detect. Fortunately, the new Android 16 update has a feature that can warn you when someone is using this tactic to snoop on you. This type of attack uses a device called a 'stingray.' An attacker sets up this device near a target they want to surveil, and it mimics a legitimate cell tower. The stingray tricks nearby mobile devices into connecting to it, allowing the attacker to collect unique identifiers (like the IMEI) and even force them onto an older, more insecure communication protocol. These identifiers allow attackers to target specific devices for analysis, while switching protocols can let them intercept unencrypted text messages and phone calls. These 'stingray' devices are notoriously used by law enforcement agencies, but their technology can also be acquired by malicious actors. While some argue they are a necessary tool for surveilling criminals, their potential for abuse is significant, as they can be used to covertly collect data on ordinary people. Because of this, Google has been working on ways to warn Android users or prevent them from sending communications over insecure cellular networks. With the release of Android 12, for example, Google added support for disabling 2G connectivity at the modem level. In Android 14, the company followed up by supporting the disabling of connections that use null ciphers — a form of unencrypted communication. More recently, Android 15 added support for notifying the OS when the network requests a device's unique identifiers or tries to force a new ciphering algorithm. These features directly counter the tactics used by commercial 'stingrays,' which trick devices into downgrading to 2G or using null ciphers to make their traffic easier to intercept. Blocking these connections and notifying the user about these requests helps protect them from surveillance. Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority The toggle to disable 2G networks in Android 16 on a Pixel 9a. Unfortunately, only one of these three features is widely available: the ability to disable 2G connectivity. The problem is that implementing these protections requires corresponding changes to a phone's modem driver. The feature that notifies the OS about identifier requests, for example, requires a modem that supports version 3.0 of Android's IRadio hardware abstraction layer (HAL). This dependency is why these security features are missing on current Pixel phones and other devices, and it's also likely why Google delayed launching the dedicated 'mobile network security' settings page it planned for Android 15. Since upcoming devices launching with Android 16 will support version 3.0 of Android's IRadio HAL, Google is reintroducing the 'mobile network security' settings page in the Safety Center (Settings > Security & privacy). This page contains two subsections: Notifications This subsection contains a ' Network notifications ' toggle. When enabled, it allows the system to warn you if your device connects to an unencrypted network or when the network requests your phone's unique identifiers. This toggle is disabled by default in Android 16. Network generation This subsection features a ' 2G network protection ' toggle that enables or disables the device's 2G connectivity. This is the same toggle found in the main SIM settings menu, and it is also disabled by default in Android 16. Google The 'Mobile network security' page will only appear on devices that support both the '2G network protection' toggle and the 'network notifications' feature. This is why it doesn't appear on any current Pixel devices running Android 16, as they lack the necessary modem support for notifications. When the 'Network notifications' feature is enabled, Android will post a message in the notification panel and the Safety Center whenever your device switches from an encrypted to an unencrypted network, or vice versa. It will also post an alert in both places when the network accesses your phone's unique identifiers, detailing the time and number of times they were requested. Message in the notification panel and Safety Center when you connect to an unencrypted cellular network. Message in the notification panel and Safety Center when you reconnect to an encrypted cellular network. Message in the notification panel and Safety Center when a cellular network accesses your device's unique identifiers. Now that Google has relaunched this security page in Android 16, it won't be long before we start seeing it on new devices. However, due to the Google Requirements Freeze (GRF) program — a policy that allows OEMs to lock in hardware-related requirements for devices at launch — it's unlikely that any current devices will be updated to support the notifications feature. We will most likely have to wait for upcoming devices that launch with Android 16, such as the Pixel 10 series, to see this protection fully implemented. Got a tip? Talk to us! Email our staff at Email our staff at news@ . You can stay anonymous or get credit for the info, it's your choice.
The Sun
16-06-2025
- Health
- The Sun
Why UK beaches have more jellyfish than ever – and how to spot the most dangerous ones
MORE jellyfish than ever are being spotted in waters around the UK, according to experts. In recent months, 1,000s of jellyfish have been spotted on beaches across the country. 2 Genevieve Watson, Biologist at KISTERS explained: "Rising sea temperatures are having a direct impact on marine life in all kinds of ways. "Warmer waters can expand the habitat of marine species such as stingrays and jellyfish, allowing them to thrive in our coastal regions - areas that would have previously been too cold for them. "Few of us will look back to our childhood and remember ever seeing a stingray or jellyfish in the water at the seaside, but actually, for our children and grandchildren, this could be an increasingly common sight." Some of the most dangerous ones are the Portuguese Man o' War, which are spotted by their blue, balloon-like floating tentacles which deliver a painful sting. Another jellyfish with a strong sting is the Mauve Stinger which has four frilled arms and eight tentacles, often purple in colour. Otherwise there is also the yellow Compass Jellyfish with brown markings that look like a compass. Lions Mane Jellyfish, with long tentacles in yellow, orange or brown, are also painful if stung. While less painful, the translucent Moon Jellyfish (with purple rings) and Barrel Jellyfish in pale pink, blue or white even have mild stings. Thankfully, none of the jellyfish are deadly that are at risk of being spotted in the UK. Only those with allergies or anyone who doesn't get the wound treated are likely to suffer more serious effects. Bizarre moment Brit hols hotspot beach turns BLUE as it's left totally covered by swarm of stinging jellyfish What to do if stung by a jellyfish Cornish Watersports issued the following advice on Facebook after thousands of the stinger jellyfish washed up: 1. Rinse the affected area with seawater (not freshwater) 2. Remove any spines from the skin using tweezers or the edge of a bank card. 3. Soak the area in very warm water (as hot as can be tolerated) for at least 30 minutes – use hot flannels or towels if you cannot soak it. 4. Take painkillers like paracetamol or ibuprofen. 5. Obviously, if you are prone to have an allergic reaction to any stingers go straight to A&E. Cornwall Watersports also advice that those who get stung call NHS 111 for further advice. Genevieve said it was even possible that stingrays could be next in the UK waters. She added: "We've seen increased reports over recent years of jellyfish blooms on the British and Irish coast as their population has exploded due to increasingly warm waters, it's highly possible that stingrays could be next.' Some have already been spotted in UK waters, such as the Common Stingray. While they currently don't come close to the shoreline, they still have a very painful sting from their tail. Last year, thousands of purple jellyfish washed up on the Isles of Scilly. Here's what you should do if you are ever stung by a jellyfish. 2
Daily Mail
07-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Aussie swimmer's close brush with death after stingray narrowly misses her artery in rare attack
A volunteer marine researcher has narrowly escaped with her life after an stingray barb missed her artery in a rare attack. Pam Bennett, 68, was part of a team recently snorkelling 50metres offshore at Treasure Cove on South Australia 's Southern Yorke Peninsula. Ms Bennett, a local, had been studying the effects of an algae bloom on the water's wildlife and the unusual number of fish found dead along the coastline. She noticed she was above an eagle ray and even though she 'quickly swam out of the way', a 16cm-long barb pierced her arm. 'I actually didn't see that stingray - he had come from behind, I think. He had actually attacked,' she told the ABC. 'That's not their normal behaviour.' A second eagle ray attempted to lash out at another member of the group, Dr Mike Bossley, but it missed its target. Ms Bennett recalled feeling as though she'd been attacked by a dog as her teammates floated her to shore. 'I kind of expected them to take the wetsuit off and see teeth marks,' she said. The 68-year-old managed to scale a cliff back to the roadside and she was taken to Yorketown Hospital for an x-ray. Doctors discovered the full barb had been lodged in Ms Bennett's arm, missing her brachial artery. A severed brachial artery can cause a person to fall unconscious is just 15 seconds and death in 90 seconds. Both she and Dr Bossley believe the unusually aggressive stingrays attacked them due to the ongoing algae bloom. In the past two months several sharks, stingrays, octopuses and fish have washed onto South Australian beaches. It's believed the spike in deaths has been caused by the algae sticking to the marine life and limiting their oxygen intake. Ms Bennett was later flown to Adelaide to undergo surgery to remove the large barb. She told Nine News on Tuesday she is recovering well. 'I've got a sore arm, that's all,' she said. Dr Bossley warned that while the attack was uncharacteristic of stingrays, similar incidents could occur if the algae continues to spread. 'The only thing that will help is if we get a decent storm coming in from the south-west, which will break up the bloom and disperse it,' he said.
