Android Security Guide: How to Keep Your Smartphone Safe
We use smartphones to carry out work tasks and online transactions daily, so Android security is significantly important. But a majority of users still neglect the importance of Android security. We hope this android security guide will encourage you to keep your smartphone secure.
1. Turn on your screen lock, customise your lock screen display, and enable lockdown mode.
This tip may sound like a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised how many individuals don’t use a screen lock. Pew Research Centre reported that 28% of smartphone users don’t have locked screens.
Your screen lock is the gate between the outside world and all the private data in your smartphone. Without one, your personal data is up for grabs whenever your smartphone is unattended.
You’d want to make the most of your screen lock setting. One way is to customise your lock screen display. You can choose to hide certain notifications while leaving some to be visible.
Another method is to enable lockdown mode, enabling this will disable all biometric and Smart Lock security settings. Hence, the device can only be accessed with a PIN, pattern, or password, meaning no one can access it without your explicit permission.
This mode is helpful if you’re in a situation where you’re forced to unlock your smartphone with biometrics. Your lock screen won’t display notifications when this mode is enabled, not until you manually unlock it.
2. Go through app permissions.
We tend to hastily grant apps access to our files when we’re in a rush. So, it’s always worth checking and reminding ourselves what permissions we gave these apps.
Revoke permission for anything unnecessary or eyebrow-raising. However, if certain apps require your location, camera, and microphone, but you don’t want them always to have access, you can set it up so that the app only has access when it is actively in use.
3. Constantly update your operating system (OS)
Updating your OS may seem like a hassle, especially when your phone self-updates at the worst time. However, bear with it because it might be that one step in keeping all your private information safe.
Outdated software is an opportunity for hackers to hack into your smartphone. Updating your OS means your smartphone will have the latest security configuration.
For example, the latest Android version is Android 13, and it has a Permission Manager where you can manage all the types of permissions apps ask for. Without this function, you can’t choose which permissions to grant, and so, you might give away data you’re not comfortable with.
4. Don’t use public Wi-Fi.
Public Wi-Fi can be tempting when you run out of data or don’t own a data plan. But, remember there are risks to using public Wi-Fi. Public Wi-Fi requires no authentication to establish a network connection, Hence, a hacker can gain access to unsecured devices on the same network.
This means the hacker can position himself between you and the connection point. In other words, you’d be unintentionally sending your private information to the hacker, and he passes it on.
An unsecured public Wi-Fi means the hacker can distribute malware, and if you enable file-sharing, he can plant infected software in your device.
5. Try out a password manager.
A password manager is a computer program that stores, manages, and generates passwords for you while remaining locked by a master key only you know. A password manager would also provide stronger security assurances and broader support for in-app password filling.
Some password managers offer to lock an app automatically when it’s gone idle for a few minutes. A PIN or biometric authentication is then required to unlock the app.
Pew Research Centre reports that only 12% of internet users use password managers, while 41% share their passwords with friends or family members.
Maybe it’s time for every internet user to consider using a password manager, especially when online banking and shopping are commonly processed via our smartphones.
6. Enable two-factor authentication
Two-factor authentication requires entering a time-sensitive code whenever you sign in with your password. Enabling this security step will significantly boost your security level and decrease the chances of hackers accessing your private data.
With two-factor authentication, a hacker would need to know your password and your code-generating smartphone’s physical presence.
Android Security Measures
Did you know that 41% of Americans have sensitive information compromised? Now that you know how to keep your smartphone safe from potential hackers and malware, we hope you feel safer using your device for daily tasks. We encourage you to share these android security measures with friends and family.
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