Why Android Security Is Very Important – And How to Go About It

There was a time when data security and privacy was high, but that time is not now. With the advancement in internet technology, as well as improvement in smartphone tech and design, the thin fabric of user privacy and security gets getting thinner and thinner.

It will keep getting so, and not even the government will help if you don’t do anything about it.

Why care about your Android security?

The question should not be why you should care, but rather why you shouldn’t.
In a couple of days now, Huawei will be stopped from using the Android OS license on their units. The reason for that is not far-fetched – they have been found guilty of spying on their users and the US would have nothing of that. This is a single story of some company that got caught, but what about those that didn’t get caught at all?

Not so long ago, there was an issue with Cambridge Analytica and Facebook where the former company collected user information via the latter platform, and that informant may or may not have been used to influence the US elections. This should tell just how important the information being collected about you can be.

Besides that, there are a lot of other attacks which could be launched on your Android phone. An app you have installed could contain some malicious code with the intent to record your key logs. By extension, that tells anyone collecting such information what keys you press on your keyboard, from which they can determine your passwords to certain accounts.

Think about what they can do with your bank account login details, work login and so much more.

That, and we have not even mentioned the many dangers posed by browser fingerprinting, phishing attacks, cookie tracking, and the likes. We could go on and on, but we know you get the message already.

What Does It Cost to Keep Your Android Device Secure?

Time, and just a little bit of money.
You might not know what your private data is worth until it gets into the wrong hands. That is why the cost of preventing data leaks is usually much lesser compared to the cost of fixing them after they must have happened.
Fortunately, we have the right combination of power tips to ensure your safety from most of these attacks on your Android device.

How to Secure Your Android Device

Follow this step by step guide and you will have a little Fort Knox on your hands in no time:

1. Set a secure password

We know that only your fingerprint can unlock your phone, and we are aware your OEM was generous enough to include the option to unlock your phone with your face. We are not even going to talk about how those biometrics can be fooled today. What we are going to let you in on, though, is that your password might not be as secure as you thought.

Forget biometrics for a while. If your passwords are not strong enough, they will be the chink in your shiny armor. When resetting your password, do so as if you didn’t have all those biometric sensors to back you up.

2. Install a VPN

There are a lot of dangers lurking online, and we brush past many of them on a daily basis.

For example, simply connecting to a free Wi-Fi network is more dangerous than we give it credit for. This act could expose you to all of browser fingerprinting, man-in-the-middle attacks and so much more. Even the companies that give you this free Wi-Fi are not exempt from monitoring and storing your internet data.
If you don’t trust us, read their terms and conditions before signing onto the network next time.

Using an Android VPN will add a layer of protection to your internet connection – whether you are on a personal connection or using public Wi-Fi. With that, you can be sure no one is tracking your data, and even if they were, they wouldn’t be able to personally identify your device anymore.

3. Update Your Apps and Phone

When updates to apps on your phones come out, or the security patch for the new month, they are not just formalities. Developers don’t just code for the fun of it just to send out these updates. They are doing so because they have either found something to improve how smoothly your unit runs or a vulnerability that needs patching up.

A recent case is that of the WhatsApp vulnerability that allowed an Israeli spyware to make it onto the unit.
Keeping your apps and device updated will save you from those vulnerabilities and keep your ship running tight.

4. Use 2FA

What’s better than one password? Two!
That’s the simple beauty of 2FA. Even if someone had access to your main password, they would still need an independent code to get access to the account. This greatly reduces the chances of having your Google Account remotely hacked.

Many people opt to have their 2FA linked to text messages – which is not the safest mode of doing things, but safer than not having it at all. Whatever you do, ensure you set up 2FA for your Google account today.