The internet is an extremely dangerous place. It’s not uncommon for hackers to break into your device and take control of it without you ever knowing. They could steal your personal information, access the data on your phone or tablet, and even lock you out of all of your accounts if they wanted to. This guide will teach you how to secure your Android from these threats by using a few simple steps that anyone can do!
1) Install antivirus software
Google offers its users a free antivirus that can be used to scan your phone for malware and other threats. I recommend using this product as many hackers out there might try to break into your phone. To get the app, go on the google play store and search for “android antivirus” or “malwarebytes”. Once you find these results, click them and install them onto your device.
2) Enable PIN/password protection
This is one of the easiest ways to stop people from accessing your device. All you have to do is go on your phone’s settings and look for “Lock Screen and Security”, then click it. From here, select the check box that says “Device Unlock”. Now you will utilize a pin or password lock instead of just using your pattern/fingerprint protection feature.
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2) Use a VPN service
VPN stands for Virtual Private Network and acts as an easy way to encrypt all of the data that leaves your Android device. It works by creating a large network that uses various servers to encode everything you send through them so that nobody can read it without having access to those same servers, and even then, they would need your passwords to decode it. This is another good way of keeping your information from getting into the wrong hands.
3) Be aware of what you install
If an application requires access to any sensitive data, be sure that you understand why they ask for this access before giving it up. For example, applications like whatsapp ask for permission to read your contacts to link phone numbers with names. Other apps might require this access to track your location or use your microphone for recording purposes. Apps like Facebook and Twitter will also request this type of permission as they want to know how often you check their apps and what times you do it at, but there could also be malicious applications looking for information about how frequently you check certain things so that they can target you for scams. Ultimately, please keep track of what information your apps are asking for and avoid downloading any that seem too suspicious or can’t properly explain why they need them.
4) Set up a secure lock screen
When using an android device, setting up a pattern pro to protect the lock is the most effective method of keeping someone from just picking it up off of you and tapping away at the keys until they figure out what it is. This also comes with the added benefit of being able to see if anyone has attempted to unlock your device without having full permission to access it by showing all failed attempts in a list on your settings page under “Security.”
5) Check for security updates
Google offers monthly security updates which fix any new vulnerabilities that hackers find in Android. All you have to do is go on your settings and look for “About Device”, and then click the option that says something along with the “Security Updates” or similar lines. This will tell you if there are any new security updates available so that you can install them on your device.
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6) Disable USB debugging
USB debugging mode makes it possible to access the device from your computer and access files without connecting them through a USB cable. This can be very dangerous because hackers can gain access to your device by simply connecting it to their computer using a USB cord instead of doing so directly onto yours. Additionally, there are programs in existence that will take complete control over any android device they connect to and can do many malicious things with it. This is why it’s a good idea to disable USB debugging mode on your Android device if you aren’t using it for any development/debugging purposes. Go into the settings and look for “Developer options” or something similar, then select the option in that area that says “USB debugging”. From here, you will be able to set the mode off and protect yourself from any unwanted intruders.
7) Update default passwords on all devices connected to the network
When connecting to a wireless network, your device will often ask if it can store the password for the network so that you don’t have to enter it every time you connect. This is a good idea because it will save you time but be sure that all of the devices connected to this network have different passwords; otherwise, any hacker within the range can access the network. It’s also a good idea to change any default passwords that come with devices you purchase, such as your routers password and SSID. Many people don’t bother changing these because they expect them not to be accessible like an actual computer, but someone can access the apps available in the Google Play Store. Use of one of these apps won’t even require that your device connects to the internet either because of how they work.
If you follow all of these tips, I’m sure you will be on your way to securing your android devices from hackers and protecting yourself from all sorts of malware that has become so common in today’s world. Thanks for reading.