Securing Your Android Device
Today, smartphones literally define us by being our portal to our online identity and should therefore be treated with utmost care and secured against online thefts. In case you are not careful with your smartphone, loss of your device can mean more than just losing your contact numbers. It leads to invasion of your synced files, emails, photos, messages and social media accounts. Your entire personal information can be downloaded and shared over the world wide web for your lack of security. Therefore it is mandatory that you secure your mobile device with the latest applications and through other additional measures.
Your Android phone is a high-tech and a powerful smartphone, that typically allows you to run your office, financial transactions and entertainment needs from your hand held device. As such it carries your virtual identity, which should in all cases should be secured to the best.
Here are some tips to tighten security on your Android device:
Set a strong screen lock - The most important thing any smartphone user can do is set a unique, strong passcode or swipe pattern to prevent any undesired access to the device. It is advised not to use very obvious codes such as pet's name, your birthday instead use alphanumeric combinations which are difficult to crack.
Alternative unlocking methods - All latest Android devices come with advanced security tools for an additional layer of protection. These include features such as iris scanning, fingerprint authentication and facial recognition. These features can be activated for extra security of your phone.
Use Android In-built Security - If you are running on Jelly Bean, you can use screen lock and encryption together to further enhance the security of your device. There are also different types of screen locks available for you to choose from such as pin, pattern, password, and face unlock, in your Android settings.
Lock Your Apps - It is absolutely necessary to lock your apps, especially the apps which hold private information . This adds a second layer of security to prevent anyone hacking into your lost device particularly if they have managed to unlock your Android.
Encrypt Your Phone - Encrypting your device protects your confidential data by converting it into a format that prevents unauthorized individuals from accessing it without the key. This is important if in case someone manages to unlock your lock screen and retrieve data from your device. Android devices which run on Lollipop or higher versions have full encryption enabled by default. In case you are using an older version of Android, the encryption is listed under Security.
Use anti-virus software - Although, Google Play Protect does a good job in protecting your phone, but when it comes to malware protection it is good to have an anti-virus software.
Enable Find My Device - It is always good to enable Google’s Find My Device locator service. This service that allows you to track or wipe data from Android phone if it gets lost or stolen. All you have to do is sync your Google account to your Android device and turn on the location feature to enable find my device service.
Use Private Networks - To keep your Android device safe from hackers and malware, stick to using private internet connections and avoid using free Wi-Fi. Open public networks do not have adequate security and your data can easily be hacked.
Prepare A Backup Of Your Data - Always backup your data, because if your Android device gets stolen and you have to remotely wipe your data then you can always retrieve your data from the backup.
It never hurts to ensure extra security of your device. If you implement these suggestions, your phone along with your information will be more safe.
Today, smartphones literally define us by being our portal to our online identity and should therefore be treated with utmost care and secured against online thefts. In case you are not careful with your smartphone, loss of your device can mean more than just losing your contact numbers. It leads to invasion of your synced files, emails, photos, messages and social media accounts. Your entire personal information can be downloaded and shared over the world wide web for your lack of security. Therefore it is mandatory that you secure your mobile device with the latest applications and through other additional measures.
Your Android phone is a high-tech and a powerful smartphone, that typically allows you to run your office, financial transactions and entertainment needs from your hand held device. As such it carries your virtual identity, which should in all cases should be secured to the best.
Here are some tips to tighten security on your Android device:
Set a strong screen lock - The most important thing any smartphone user can do is set a unique, strong passcode or swipe pattern to prevent any undesired access to the device. It is advised not to use very obvious codes such as pet's name, your birthday instead use alphanumeric combinations which are difficult to crack.
Alternative unlocking methods - All latest Android devices come with advanced security tools for an additional layer of protection. These include features such as iris scanning, fingerprint authentication and facial recognition. These features can be activated for extra security of your phone.
Use Android In-built Security - If you are running on Jelly Bean, you can use screen lock and encryption together to further enhance the security of your device. There are also different types of screen locks available for you to choose from such as pin, pattern, password, and face unlock, in your Android settings.
Lock Your Apps - It is absolutely necessary to lock your apps, especially the apps which hold private information . This adds a second layer of security to prevent anyone hacking into your lost device particularly if they have managed to unlock your Android.
Encrypt Your Phone - Encrypting your device protects your confidential data by converting it into a format that prevents unauthorized individuals from accessing it without the key. This is important if in case someone manages to unlock your lock screen and retrieve data from your device. Android devices which run on Lollipop or higher versions have full encryption enabled by default. In case you are using an older version of Android, the encryption is listed under Security.
Use anti-virus software - Although, Google Play Protect does a good job in protecting your phone, but when it comes to malware protection it is good to have an anti-virus software.
Enable Find My Device - It is always good to enable Google’s Find My Device locator service. This service that allows you to track or wipe data from Android phone if it gets lost or stolen. All you have to do is sync your Google account to your Android device and turn on the location feature to enable find my device service.
Use Private Networks - To keep your Android device safe from hackers and malware, stick to using private internet connections and avoid using free Wi-Fi. Open public networks do not have adequate security and your data can easily be hacked.
Prepare A Backup Of Your Data - Always backup your data, because if your Android device gets stolen and you have to remotely wipe your data then you can always retrieve your data from the backup.
It never hurts to ensure extra security of your device. If you implement these suggestions, your phone along with your information will be more safe.
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