Android, is the market leader in Mobile OS but the most attacked as well. The number of malware types has also increased.
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A Kaspersky Security report said in that ninety-nine percent of newly discovered mobile malicious programs target the Android platform.
Hackers don’t need physical access to your phone to steal your personal information or infect the device with malware.
They infiltrate your phone with innocent-looking apps or link to it via unsecured Wi-Fi networks.
Security on your mobile device has become vital in protecting your personal and professional information from hackers.
We’ve all heard of celebrity photos and text messages being hacked and leaked to the public.
Once a hacker has infiltrated your device they can access all the data you stored including phone calls, text messages, photos, and personal or business data.
So what can users do to protect their mobile phones?
Here are some tips.
1. Do Not Save All Of Your Passwords
Many users save their passwords to online services and sites on their devices, never once thinking about what it would mean to a person who got their hands on the phone.
Avoid having all important passwords saved on your device particularly when it comes to banking or payment apps.
2. Lock Your Screen With a Pin
You can have a screen lock and encryption enabled to further enhance your security.
There are many types of screen locks available for you to choose from such as password, pin, pattern, and face unlock, available in your Android settings.
Even when setting pins or pattern locks, try not to make it easy for hackers to guess your password.
3. Don’t Use Public Wi-Fi Without A VPN
While using public Wi-Fi, it is important to use a network that has security.
To stay safe on public Wi-Fi networks, your best defense will be to use a VPN (Virtual Private Network), which keeps you safe even in other conditions too.
4. Protect Your Apps
It is necessary to lock your apps, especially the ones holding private information that you wish nobody but you could see.
This is a second layer of security to prevent anyone from using your lost device particularly if they have managed to bypass your locked Android.
5. Check App Permissions and Security Settings
Before you begin installing an app from Google Play, a list of requested permissions will pop up to show you what permission the app requires.
Apps require permission to do things but not all of them are necessary.
Always read through the permissions to make sure they make sense and correspond to what the app actually does eg. an alarm app does not require a permit to access your text messages.
This is a really important step because not all apps in the Play Store are safe.
6. Don’t Use Public Wifi
One of the most important things in protecting your Android is to secure your network. Try to avoid using public WiFi whenever you want to do something important like doing your banking online.
As long you are sharing the same network with the public, they can easily sniff out your packets and translate them into actual data of your private information i.e. your passwords.
You can protect your information by using VPN so that your outgoing connection is always encrypted, making it harder for anyone to steal your data.
7. Backup Your Data
It is vital to frequently back up and make duplicate copies of all your important data to keep it safe. Because even if you lost the phone the data can be wiped off with a remote wipe.
By backing up frequently the data can be safe with us.
8. Use Security Apps
To keep viruses and malware at bay, it is suggested that you use one antivirus tool, such as Sophos Anti-Virus for Mac or such as Avira for Windows, as well as an anti-malware tool for on-demand scannings, such as Malwarebytes.
9. Google’s Android Device Manager Page
This is particularly useful to activate especially when you’ve lost the phone.
You can provide more options by logging into your Google account, and you will be able to force a device on silent mode to ring, remote-lock a device, and view its location on a map.
10. Don’t Respond To Unknown Senders
Delete text messages from unknown senders that ask for your information, and avoid clicking links in messages. Some hackers send messages that appear to be from your bank or another trusted source.
If you click the link in the message, the hacker can steal your information or install malware on the phone.
Don’t download apps via text message; this is a common way for hackers to infect your device.
