The Silicon Review ^Asia

An integral part of our lives, Smartphones have made us very much dependent on them. We use them for shopping, ordering food, booking cabs and movie tickets, making payments and whatnot. Apart from that, it is also useful to stock up a lot of confidential information, such as passwords and credit card details, on smartphones. But even then, we forget to pay much attention towards the overall safety of the data stored on our smartphones. So overcome threats, we are presenting few security tips that Android smartphone users can follow to keep hackers aside….

Use a PIN/password on the lockscreen-Quite obvious but always use a PIN or a password to protect your smartphone. Adding this security layer to your smartphone can help a lot.

Lock apps on your device-Only using a password isn’t always enough. One should lock individual apps (especially those like mobile wallets and online shopping) with passwords as well. There are plethoras of ways to go about it. For instance, definite smartphones come with the built-in app locking functionality.
Some apps like Paytm also include built-in locking features. Lastly, there are numerous third-party security apps available on the Google Play Store that you can use to lock individual apps.

Download apps from trusted sources- Always make sure to download apps only from the trusted sources such as the Google Play Store. Also, don't forget to check ratings and reviews of an app before striking the download button. Checking the privacy policy of the app you are downloading is a must as well.

Read app permissions before downloading an app- One of the most important steps to keep in mind. When downloading an app from the Google Play Store, always make sure you read the complete information about all the data it will have access to, once downloaded.

Download the Android Device Manager- One of the most practical apps by Google. If the user has ever happened to lose their Android smartphone, Android Device Manager can help them place it.
The app can come in really handy in tracking and getting back lost or stolen Android devices. It can even be used to factory reset devices remotely, provided the functionality has been configured properly beforehand.

Google Authenticator is a must have-One can store on Google Authenticator to add an additional layer of security to their accounts. It is Google’s app to facilitate two-factor authentication. The app makes it easy to get time-bound verification codes for sorting into accounts for which you have two-factor authentication enabled. What’s best about Google Authenticator is that it works offline, and even for some non-Google services.

Download an Antivirus app- Quit a normal practice, but it is a critical step to follow, considering the kind of important information our devices have. So never forget to install an antivirus app.

Avoid using public Wi-Fi- Always try to avoid using public Wi-Fi networks. Because, one can never be sure if they are 100% safe. Also, make sure your phone doesn’t automatically join to Wi-Fi networks when in their range. Always keep Wi-Fi switched off when it’s not required.

Configure the Bluetooth settings correctly- First of all, make your device is set as ‘Non-discoverable’ in its Bluetooth settings. That’s because if they are always set as visible, smartphones are more prone to getting targeted by hackers. Just like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth should also be kept switched off when not in use.

Never root your device- No matter how tempted may feel, never root your smartphone. Although rooting has its benefits, but it also makes your smartphone exposed to malware and other such attacks.

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