Android is the most used operating system in the world. In fact, over 86% of devices sold run the Android OS. Since the Android community is way bigger than Apple or other mobile platforms, it gives hackers a rich source of targets to exploit.
It is believed that the latest versions of Android offer a good security level. However, we shouldn’t ignore the fact that as the cybersecurity community is getting efficient in coming up with robust security measures, the hacker community is also getting smarter and more frequent in their attacks.
Truth be told, the current malware attacks are way more complex and effective than witnessed anytime in the past. Fortunately, you can stop fearing for your android’s security by taking the following countermeasures to protect your device better.
Effective Ways to Tighten Your Android Phone’s Security
Stop Trusting Untrusted Third-Party App Banks
Google Play Store stacks hundreds of thousands of applications from developers across the globe. You won’t find any infected application on Play Store because they keep strict tabs on what’s being added to their ever-growing inventory. Moreover, there is a massive community of users who would immediately report any suspicious application they come across.
Coming to the point, when you already have a good bank of applications where you can find any app of your choice, why go and look for apps on third-party stores? Always keep in mind that “.apk” files available on third-party platforms can never be trusted. Moreover, most of the times, these apps contain malware or other viruses that could compromise the security of your device the moment you download the app.
Therefore, don’t download or install any app from anywhere other than the Google Play Store.
Always Keep the OS Up-to-Date with Latest Security Patch
You must be living in a cave for over a year if you are not aware of the Wikileaks Vault 7. For a quick reminder, the Vault 7 leak presented a huge list of cunning practices employed by intelligence agencies to keep tabs on users’ private activities. The most prominent of those practices was the security vulnerability in the old Android’s OS they had been exploiting.
These incidents are a good reminder for us that we need to keep the OS up-to-date, and also use the latest security patches to prevent such exploits for happening again.
Use Tools That Offer End-to-End Encryption
Today, we need encryption more than ever. We are not only unsafe against our government and its intelligence agencies but also against the cyber goons that are flourishing in the digital ecosystem. Though it is reasonable to use encrypted messenger or email clients, it is way effective if you simply use a virtual private network (VPN).
What is a VPN, you might ask? VPNs give you the ease of securing your internet traffic by connecting to the Internet via an encrypted tunnel. The tunnel encrypts all the traffic that is transmitted through it. As a result, you get to ensure the integrity of your data as well as your privacy. Now, you might be wondering which VPN is reliable? We have been recommending PureVPN time to time because of its robust features and ease of use but in the end, it all comes down to which VPN brands suits your most.
Find and Install a Reliable Device Finder App
You never know when you need this baby on your device. After all, theft is something that can happen anywhere or anytime, especially when you are inattentive towards your belongings.
Anyway, a device finder application helps you locate your device in case of theft or loss. In fact, there are many other features in such apps that can prove quite useful. For instance, some apps have alerts that can be triggered through other connected device to find a lost device.
Keep Your Mobile Anti-Virus App Updated
These days, every device needs an antivirus or anti-malware application. Viruses and malware come in many forms and through many sources. You can never know when your device is hit by a virus. Therefore, you need an updated antivirus to automatically detect and quarantine viruses and keep your device safe and secure.
I hope this guide will help you get a good head start on how to protect your device best. Always remember that you need to keep your wits about you when you are online if you don’t want any online threat exposing your data or privacy.