My 5 Tips To Help Protect Your Android Phone From Threats

Android phones of today are vulnerable to various security loopholes, hacks and damage. The reasons why there is always software updates or OTA upgrade from a smartphone phone manufacturer most at times is as a result of a bridge in security, expired firmware of the phone which can cause huge security bridges and make phones to malfunction.

The phone manufacturer makes sure the firmware is always up to date, this is especially conversant with popular, most used phones that can easily get pirated by some tech hackers and geeks.

The simple truth is that not all of this smartphone or android phone can be upgraded most stops in a particular version of upgrade while some can continue being updated when there is a new upgrade data from the phones manufacturer. Now if we may ask, what happens to those android phones that cannot take any more upgrades and are already vulnerable to attacks by some application providers. Or phones that have security issues where the phones software is pirated.

Most times the best and easy thing we android users do when our smartphones start misbehaving in such manner is to restore factory default. But the thing is when we restore factory default, our phone is back to normal and after sometime, those things start coming back and the android phone begins to misbehave once more.

Well when this issue of vulnerability attacks continue coming back the best step to take is to flash the android phone with a new ROM or its original ROM, so that a newer version of the phone would be seen, and so all old stuffs disturbing the phone would go away..

The normal saying goes that prevention is better than cure, of course this will be true and be of reckoning when foe example you cannot get the custom ROM of that particular android phone giving you problem, which you might result in selling the phone or throwing it somewhere to get another. My point is that you can prevent this attacks and security vulnerability from even coming across your android phone, thats where prevention comes in.

This vulnerabilities are usually common with Android 4.0+ to 4.4 android phones where so applications have been worked for.

In this article, i have decided to share with you a few tips to prevent such android vulnerabilities from your android phone. So i will be giving you some helpful tips to secure your android phone. With this tips i am sure it would be of help to your smartphone security from any vulnerabilities.

Just to drop this, due to the amount of personal information stored on these phones, hackers have now shifted their interest from desktop attacks to mobile phone attacks. While the well-known vulnerabilities such as ransomware, phishing, malware and spam are still the same, smartphone users have to deal with a host of new threats like theft and unnecessary app permissions.

Now, how do you keep your smartphone safe from such vulnerabilities and threats.

Tips To Protect Your Android Phone From Threats

1. Secure Your Lock Screen

Yes, one of the tips that usually helps is securing your phones lock screen.  This might seem like common sense, yet the majority of smartphone users do not even have a PIN on their lock screen.

Some very confident people will never lose their phone or that if they do, they can remotely wipe it. Though it is good to have a positive mindset, sometimes things happen that are out of your control. Something as simple as a PIN or other lock screen methods is a very effective way to deter criminals from hacking into your device should it be lost or stolen.

2. Sideloading Apps

Its very important to avoid sideloaded apps, what are sideloaded apps - they are apps installed in APK format onto an Android device which is usually downloaded from websites other than Google Play, usually through a computer. The more reason we always prefer to go for android phones over other brands like apple is because of the open market. You can find apps outside of the Google Play store and install them on your phone. While this might sound convenient, especially if the app isn’t available on the store, it makes your phone that much more vulnerable.

This is the main way many hackers gain access to a victim’s smartphone. They offer a pirated version of an app and then infect it with malware. Once downloaded, Android doesn’t check the app for any viruses or other concerning features. Even if you have security apps installed, many do not scan every app installed.  Those that come at a particular cost should be avoided.

The steps to take when planning to install an app outside the Google Play Store is to download the apps from trusted sources such as the application manufacturer website.

3. Use VPN -  Virtual Private Network

VPNs aren’t just for desktops anymore. You can also take advantage of the service for your mobile device. In fact, it’s more important to use it for your smartphone as you will connect to more insecure networks than on your desktop or laptop. Consider how often you have connected to public WiFi. It is a great portal for hackers to gain access to your information, as public networks are not very secure. Using a VPN can encrypt your data to keep you anonymous from potential cybercriminals making your information difficult (if not impossible) to read if they intercept it.

4. Encrypt Your Phone

If you want to keep your information safe, the best thing to do is physically encrypt the data on your phone. This protects all of the data on your phone until you put in your decryption password. You don’t even need an app to do this either. Simply navigate to your security settings and turn on encryption. Before you decide to take this step keep in mind the following:
Full device encryption will slow down your performance. While not noticeable on higher-end phones, it could pose a problem for those using budget phones. You cannot undo encryption. If you want to turn it off, you will have to restore your phone to its factory settings.

5. Manage App Permissions

Whenever you download an app from Google Play, a pop-up window appears to show you what the app wants access to. Many people do not pay attention to these permissions. Taking that into consideration, it’s an important step to verify that the app does not require more access to your phone than necessary.

Generally, most apps have a good reason to access certain facilities. A messaging app might want access to your camera and contacts so you can take pictures and send to your friends and family. A game might require your location to compete against other people in the area. With that said, if you can’t find a reason an app needs to access these facilities, then it’s a good idea not to install it. Ask yourself, does a currency converter need access to my contacts?

Android Marshmallow and Nougat also gives you further control over app permissions. You can control what they can and cannot access even after you install it.

Of course, the best way to keep your Android smartphone secure is to take the necessary personal precautions such as not downloading suspicious apps.