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Our Android smartphones have become our
closest companion and confidant as they carry
lots of personal data and even sensitive
documents relating to work and business. Some of
these include e-mails, passwords, messages,
contacts, photos and videos. Therefore it is of
paramount importance to secure your handset to
prevent fraudsters from gaining access to it. It is
also important to ensure that in case it falls into the
wrong hands, your data and information stay safe.
Some of the ways to do this are outlined below.
Password Your Device
All Android phones have the options of using either
a pattern lock or an alphanumeric password
(numbers and letters). When using the pattern
lock, ensure that it is not an easy to guess pattern
but one that you can remember and make sure no
other person knows the password for the Gmail
account associated with your device. For the
alphanumeric password, it is best to use numbers,
letters and symbols together but it should be
something you can remember, don’t use
passwords like 12345, your name, birthday or
other things that someone can look up. In both
cases, do not tell anyone your password and
ensure no one sees you when drawing your
pattern.
Use Google
All Android devices from Android version 2.2 and
above come with a special feature you can use to
track and manage your device. Check for Google
Settings on your device denoted by a grey icon
with small letter ‘g’ and a gear symbol. Open the
app and choose the ‘Android Device Manager’
option, you will then see various options for
locating, remote locking and factory resetting of
your device in case it gets lost or is stolen.
Then you can log on to the Android
Device Manager website [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
android/ devicemanager using your Gmail account
to control your phone from any location.
Use an Antivirus
Hackers, spyware and other bad stuff can get
access to your phone through surfing the net,
downloading files, running apps amongst other
things. To guard against these threats, it is best to
uses an AntiVirus app. There are several free and
paid antivirus apps such as AVG AntiVirus Security
Free, Avast Mobile Security, Norton Security
antivirus, etc. Free antivirus apps are good enough
but if you want better protection, go for the paid
options.
Some of the antivirus apps can help track your
phone if stolen or misplaced, remotely wipe your
data to prevent intrusion and even make a loud
sound to help you locate it. It is best to have only
one antivirus software on your device as having
more than one can cause your device to run
slowly.
Install an Anti-Theft App to Snap the Thief
You might have heard of some thieves who were
caught after the phones the stole took their photos
and sent them to the real owners of the phones.
You can do it too however only if your device has a
front camera, there are many apps in the Google
PlayStore which have that capability most of which
are paid.
Some are Cerberus Anti-Theft and Lockwatch
Anti-Theft by Bloketech. These apps use the
device’s front camera to take a photo of the thief
when he/she attempts to unlock the device with a
wrong password. It will then send the photo and
phone location to you via email which makes it
easy for you to catch the thief, its better you go
with law enforcement officers and not alone. The
apps work silently so the thief won’t know he/she
is been photographed.
Track Your Device
As earlier said, there are a lot of apps in the
PlayStore which can help you secure your phone.
When you install the app, make sure you do all it
asks you to do so that you can track your phone,
you might need to open an account online on the
app vendor’s website to help you track and
remotely control the device, make sure you do
that. Once it goes missing, use the app to track its
location using the instructions in the app and do
any of the following lock it, unlock it, send a
message to the thief, take his/her photo or wipe
the data on the phone depending on the app. If the
phone doesn’t have an internet connection, you
can send an SMS command to it and its location
will be sent back to you.
Pay attention to app permissions
App permissions are your first line of defense
against malicious software. Every time you install
an app, you see a pop-up that lists all of the
aspects of your phone that the app is designed to
access. While most people mindlessly dismiss the
pop-up and continue the installation, it sometimes
pays off to discover whether the flashlight app you
downloaded uses services that could cost you
money, for example, or to learn that Facebook’s
app essentially asks to use your entire phone.
Best Practices for Securing Your Phone
Don’t download attachments from e-mails sent by
unknown contacts.
Before you install an app, look at the permissions
it asks for and allow or deny as you want.
Install only well rated apps e.g. those with at least
1000 downloads except it’s by someone you know
well.
Don't give an app access to your social media
accounts e.g. Google, Facebook and Twitter
except for a very good reason; it’s not compulsory
that if an app requests access to your accounts
that it be allowed.
closest companion and confidant as they carry
lots of personal data and even sensitive
documents relating to work and business. Some of
these include e-mails, passwords, messages,
contacts, photos and videos. Therefore it is of
paramount importance to secure your handset to
prevent fraudsters from gaining access to it. It is
also important to ensure that in case it falls into the
wrong hands, your data and information stay safe.
Some of the ways to do this are outlined below.
Password Your Device
All Android phones have the options of using either
a pattern lock or an alphanumeric password
(numbers and letters). When using the pattern
lock, ensure that it is not an easy to guess pattern
but one that you can remember and make sure no
other person knows the password for the Gmail
account associated with your device. For the
alphanumeric password, it is best to use numbers,
letters and symbols together but it should be
something you can remember, don’t use
passwords like 12345, your name, birthday or
other things that someone can look up. In both
cases, do not tell anyone your password and
ensure no one sees you when drawing your
pattern.
Use Google
All Android devices from Android version 2.2 and
above come with a special feature you can use to
track and manage your device. Check for Google
Settings on your device denoted by a grey icon
with small letter ‘g’ and a gear symbol. Open the
app and choose the ‘Android Device Manager’
option, you will then see various options for
locating, remote locking and factory resetting of
your device in case it gets lost or is stolen.
Then you can log on to the Android
Device Manager website [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
android/ devicemanager using your Gmail account
to control your phone from any location.
Use an Antivirus
Hackers, spyware and other bad stuff can get
access to your phone through surfing the net,
downloading files, running apps amongst other
things. To guard against these threats, it is best to
uses an AntiVirus app. There are several free and
paid antivirus apps such as AVG AntiVirus Security
Free, Avast Mobile Security, Norton Security
antivirus, etc. Free antivirus apps are good enough
but if you want better protection, go for the paid
options.
Some of the antivirus apps can help track your
phone if stolen or misplaced, remotely wipe your
data to prevent intrusion and even make a loud
sound to help you locate it. It is best to have only
one antivirus software on your device as having
more than one can cause your device to run
slowly.
Install an Anti-Theft App to Snap the Thief
You might have heard of some thieves who were
caught after the phones the stole took their photos
and sent them to the real owners of the phones.
You can do it too however only if your device has a
front camera, there are many apps in the Google
PlayStore which have that capability most of which
are paid.
Some are Cerberus Anti-Theft and Lockwatch
Anti-Theft by Bloketech. These apps use the
device’s front camera to take a photo of the thief
when he/she attempts to unlock the device with a
wrong password. It will then send the photo and
phone location to you via email which makes it
easy for you to catch the thief, its better you go
with law enforcement officers and not alone. The
apps work silently so the thief won’t know he/she
is been photographed.
Track Your Device
As earlier said, there are a lot of apps in the
PlayStore which can help you secure your phone.
When you install the app, make sure you do all it
asks you to do so that you can track your phone,
you might need to open an account online on the
app vendor’s website to help you track and
remotely control the device, make sure you do
that. Once it goes missing, use the app to track its
location using the instructions in the app and do
any of the following lock it, unlock it, send a
message to the thief, take his/her photo or wipe
the data on the phone depending on the app. If the
phone doesn’t have an internet connection, you
can send an SMS command to it and its location
will be sent back to you.
Pay attention to app permissions
App permissions are your first line of defense
against malicious software. Every time you install
an app, you see a pop-up that lists all of the
aspects of your phone that the app is designed to
access. While most people mindlessly dismiss the
pop-up and continue the installation, it sometimes
pays off to discover whether the flashlight app you
downloaded uses services that could cost you
money, for example, or to learn that Facebook’s
app essentially asks to use your entire phone.
Best Practices for Securing Your Phone
Don’t download attachments from e-mails sent by
unknown contacts.
Before you install an app, look at the permissions
it asks for and allow or deny as you want.
Install only well rated apps e.g. those with at least
1000 downloads except it’s by someone you know
well.
Don't give an app access to your social media
accounts e.g. Google, Facebook and Twitter
except for a very good reason; it’s not compulsory
that if an app requests access to your accounts
that it be allowed.
