What Is Samsung Knox?

If you’ve used a Samsung Galaxy smartphone, you must’ve come across the term, Samsung Knox. So what is Samsung Knox, and why is it present on practically every Samsung device? When you boot up your Galaxy smartphone, you’ll notice a “Secured by Knox” screen. Samsung Knox is an added hardware and software security layer on Samsung smartphones.

It is based on defense-grade security and offers multi-layer protection that covers chipset, system, OS, network, and human error. Knox also comes with a secure folder and a Knox Vault that physically isolates your passwords from the rest of the data.

How Does Samsung Knox Work?

Samsung integrates its Knox protection into devices from the manufacturing level. Samsung devices have a separate physical memory to protect your passwords, PINs, and biometric data. It is an EAL 5+ level ranking vault; that’s why Samsung calls it ‘a safe within a safe.’ Other than that, Knox also offers protection at application, firmware, and kernel levels.

This is an added layer of security against hacks and viruses. Knox allows Samsung phones to detect unauthorized software changes and take steps to safeguard your data. Samsung partners with Android, Cisco, Qualcomm, and other security agencies to keep Knox up-to-date. This security offering encrypts your data, protects it against hacks, and physically protects your passwords and PINs.

Are There Any Alternatives To Knox?

Almost all major manufacturers offer security alternatives today. To start with, you can look at the latest iPhones or the Pixel 6 devices. If you want something with more physical toggles, there’s the Purism Librem 5.

Added security features like Knox offer your phone a much-needed layer of protection. There’s rarely a time when you can be sure your phone is secured, and in that case, Samsung has done a good job with Knox.

But you go with practically any major flagship today, and it comes with its own set of privacy features. In fact, apps like WhatsApp are end-to-end encrypted on their own. This essentially means that as hacks and viruses become complicated, smartphones are also becoming more secure.

If you like this simple explainer, read more like this in our Short Bytes section. We take complex tech topics like what is LiDAR and what is cloud computing and break them down into short, easy-to-understand articles.