How to secure your Android smartphone
Security is a major source of concern in Android smartphones. Presence of multiple OEMs, poor customisations, delayed Google updates and patches and lack of awareness among users are some of the factors responsible for it. If you are using your Android smartphone for work related tasks, you have to be a bit more careful as there is a lot at stake. Here are some tips to protect your smartphone and the data on it.
All Android smartphones come with the option to lock it behind a password. Users can only access them by typing the password, or with their finger print or iris. This adds a layer of physical security to your device and will protect your data from falling into wrong hands even if the smartphone gets stolen or misplaced. Users can protect data on individual apps with a password too. Setting a password is the key. Users should avoid using their names or birthdays as the password as they are easy to predict. They should go for something more complex involving numbers, symbols and alphabets. lic WiFi networks which are not protected by a password or have been compromised. You can find out about a WiFi network’s security credentials using an anti-virus app. if you have a VPN subscription, you should use it all the time on WiFi networks. Some VPNs such as TunnelBear provide the option to block all communication if the VPN is not active.
Mobile anti-virus is another tool which can help users keep their smartphone secure. They run regular scans and can warn users of a suspicious apps, webpages and even Wi-Fi networks which can be potentially harmful. Google’s Play Protect tool can also identify bad apps not just on your device but on the Play store as well.
Users should never download apps from any other source except Google Play Store. To block installation of apps from third party stores go to Settings->Security-> and disable Unknown sources. Smartphone which are not regularly updated also face greater risk. You can check when your smartphone received the last security patch in Phone Settings->About Phone->Android security patch level.