“People do not seem to understand that security and smartphones as one [single] concept simply do not exist,” says Pim Donkers.
Mr Donkers is a co-founder and chief executive of Switzerland’s ARMA Instruments, a technology company which produces super-secure communication devices.
So, more than most, he is keen to warn people about the potential security weaknesses of their smartphones.
He compares a smartphone to a beehive where “third parties fly in and out, to trade and misuse your data [that’s] collected through all the sensors onboard”.
“A smartphone as a starting point in any secure communications solution is a lost cause. It will never happen,” he warns.
His profound concern about the privacy shortcomings of smartphones has been supported by a series of recent news stories, most notably revelations about the spy software known as Pegasus, a product of Israel’s NSO Group.
In July, it emerged that Pegasus can be installed on iPhones and Android devices, allowing operators to extract messages, photos and emails, record calls and even secretly activate microphones and cameras.
The ability to remotely access a phone was once considered something only a handful of countries could do. But the technology has advanced very quickly and high-end espionage and surveillance powers are now in the hands of many countries and even individuals and small groups.
With such concerns in mind, consumer interest has grown in products with security as their primary selling point – ranging from purpose-built encrypted smartphones to privacy-oriented alternatives to online search engines and maps.
