Samsung advises to scan Qled TVs for malware every few weeks
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Aura89
https://www.roku.com/products/roku-tv
You're making some very large coverage statements there.
There are so many different kind of smart TVs, including, Roku TVs of which you admit to using (Roku Ultra being an extra box doesn't change the fact its entire purpose is to make a TV into a smart TV, or "smarter" TV by their claim of more channels and support, it's sole purpose, is the same, hence the link above, for Smart TVs with Roku built in)
There's no way to justify your statements, as they'd have to apply to ALL smart TVs, not just Samsungs, not just LGs, ALL tvs including ones that use Android, Roku, amazon Fire TVs, etc. etc. etc.
AND, Rokus can be hacked/viruses as well. Every electronic can be hacked if someone has a "good" enough reason to.
anthos
so you are not using a smart tv but you are using an additional device to get smart tv functionality. So running around in cicrles?
Also, lets say they are spying my viewing habits... Then what?
Hilbert Hagedoorn
Administrator
It's the same for any brand Smart TV with Internet hookup (e.g all of them). At least Samsung is offering protection. And to answer your question, sniff and infect other devices in your network?
Netherwind
Okay, thanks. I'll check if my TV even has these settings. It's about 3 years old so I guess we'll see.
fantaskarsef
Well while you are absolutely right, try to find a good display / TV with the latest gimmicks and shenennigans without a smart TV function. I suffered exactly by this just last month, buying a TV these days is a PITA:
- best panels only come with huge models that are too large for my viewing distance
- smaller panels don't get latest technology (OLED)
- everything is "smart" for no apparent reason but to force that crap onto people
- if you want to buy a model that last you 10 years, like my last one did, you can only pray because these days quality is crap and a TV that runs 5 years is a blessing already as I've heard
anticupidon
I was in the same situation, I choose HTPC with a 24" display as for my wife sits near the display.
For us is more than enough, running Linux on the HTPC adds a bit more relative security.
fantaskarsef
Yes I'd have done that, now my HTPC is only useful for twitch streaming (since they're too stupid to program a twitch app for WebOS or I'm to stupid to understand how to get it), using the web browser, and doing steam inhome streaming occasionally.
If you can make it work like you said, I only envy you 🙂
Backstabak
Where exactly do these malwares come from, if these TVs are using the official apps like netflix or youtube ?
fantaskarsef
Oh by all we know I'd trust Samsung to have their update process insecure and unchecked by definition, much like Asus too had malware distributed by their "own" update tools.
Backstabak
I see, but isn't it then cheaper to just have QA for their updates and distribution than to maintain AV programs and solve malware issues on end users through tech support ? Seems kinda weird decision to cut expenses here.
Aura89
I haven't run into this issue. Not saying it absolutely isn't an issue, but i used to up until about 4 years ago sell TVs, and have bought and recommended many TVs for many people over the last 20 years. I go through TVs fairly fast, but not because they die, simply because i want something new. When i sell my old TV it never goes to some random dude on craigslist, but to someone i know, either for really cheap because they are a friend/family, or sometimes even free. I state this because i still know these people, and still know if they have the TV i gave them.
Of the 17 TVs that i know about and when they were bought/made, only 1 has died, and it was a toshiba. They all range from 2 years to 13 years old now. the majority of them are around 9 years old. The oldest one, ironically enough, is an insignia, and it's running just fine. There's LGs, toshibas, Sharps, RCAs, Sonys, TCLs, Insignia and Sanyo. No samsungs interestingly enough. Only 2 of the TVs are less then 5 years old (one LG OLED TV and a TCL), all others are more then 5 years old, with 3 being over 10 years old and the 1 TV that died was 7 years old when it died.
Obviously, my 17 TVs does not represent the whole, and i'm not saying it does, but i have not, being in the industry, heard that TVs don't last even 5 years. Sure, sometimes they don't, just like every electronic, but most? or a "blessing" that it runs more then 5 years? No. Printers? Absolutely, but TVs? No.
Most TV review websites that try and give you an "idea" of what TVs should last don't even state that. In fact they state things such as "it's around 13 years at eight hours a day (at peak brightness)" I added in peak brightness because the article is talking about peak brightness which lowers the lifespan of a TV and almost no one leaves their TV on at peak brightness.... https://www.reviewed.com/televisions/features/how-long-should-a-tv-last
Obviously LED lifespan isn't the only thing to worry about, but i have yet to come to an article that shows TVs lifespans on normal settings having an average lifespan of actually working of less then 5 years. Doesn't mean it doesn't happen, again, but it's not common, it's more common that your TV will last 10-15 years then your TV will last less then 5, if you're someone who will actually be okay with having a TV for 10-15 years.
Now, where you might be getting this information from is random consumers or friends and family, and i have learned they are unreliable at best. Why? Because i have people coming in with PCs that no longer work all the time saying "But it's basically brand new, i just bought it a few years ago!" And the computer has....Vista on it. Like, really? Just bought it a few years ago? I mean i can't say they absolutely didn't, but if they did, it wasn't new when they bought it. Those kind of people will state how nothing lasts for any decent amount of time, disregarding how long they actually had the item, because in their mind, they didn't have that item for 10+ years, they had it for 4. I don't know where the other 6 years went for them, but their items are not only 4 years old. I kid you not, i had a windows XP computer come in with a guy saying he just got it 4 years ago, brand new. I asked him to please think about if it was 4 years ago and new, and he said yes. I then explained to him how old windows XP is, and how old the parts in the PC are, showed him wikipedia pages and everything, and he said i don't know what i'm talking about and i'm looking up the wrong information that i am showing him because the PC is definitely only 4 years old..........................................................people are unreliable at best when it comes to how long things last.
Witcher29
i have a 2016 model so i am screwed ?
BetA
Yeah, sure. We do not deliver a proper software. We simply hand the responsibility over to our customers. It is also much cheaper (for us), if one million customers waste meaningless time and money, we did it right!
It is really time that the costs for malware control are imposed on the manufacturers.
Or just fix the Software your using. If it has holes and cant be fixed DONT USE it.. IoT at its best, lol...
oh, and while were at it..... Who do we have to thank for all the Malware and Spyware that doesnt get fixed because keeping these holes for themselves instead of Fixing them for the greater good..
A bit older Article, but an good reminder...
The CIA(insert any agency) Spied on People Through Their Smart TVs, Leaked Documents Reveal
Venix
I can't wait for smart toilets already so when ever i am getting yelled at because i forgot the cap up i can blame it on malware! Soooon sooooooooon!
Aura89
https://www.amazon.com/Flush-Down-Automatic-Elongated-available/dp/B00WL1ZOUW
airbud7
hahahaha! you crazy Venix!
Venix
hmm you are right she is not that tech savy i might can use that and then blame it on malware !
fantaskarsef
You are absolutely right, I agree 100% with you. But honestly, at this point, we all should be aware that "smart" components are as insecure as it gets these days, starting at the TV (with integrated insecure alexa support), over the smart fridge which houses a botnet client by now, down to smart electricity meters that can be turned off by hackers.
And companies see how they can "offer" people that stuff and the majority even thinks this is a good idea, which is way beyond me. And then they save out on security because in our digital age, law makers have not caught up with today's reality, some decades after the internet was created, to guarantee the safety of devices, your data in particular, or bring on proper fines and punishment for lacking those little reglementations in place.
So it's down to "let's hope they don't screw this up" with pretty much everything besides a smartphone and a PC. And there you have malicious apps in Apple's store and the play store, as well as malware distributions via update tools in big companies, down to faulty windows components like Cortana or the remote desktop service which oddly enough only hurts where it's important, in bigger IT infrastructure complexes like companies and general infrastructure.
So any security there is, is probably down to good or bad luck. Because nobody forces manufacturers to care about it.
gx-x
I have respect for you man, but you are generalizing things here a lot. Not everyone lives in USA. How many Mexicans do you think have 60" smart TV's? a lot of people live paycheck to paycheck, hell even in US...
airbud7
I just realized there are four listening devices currently powered on in my house....should I be worried?....are computers listening to every word I say?
I'm starting to get paranoid I tell ya!.....:D
