How to Secure Your Android Device

We joke about teens being addicted to their devices. But really, we all have moved our dependence from our PCs to our mobile phones.

Many adults have links to their bank accounts, children’s vaccine information and Social Security numbers, and a whole Rolodex-worth of business and personal contact information.

Essentially, everything about a person that can be digitized is on their phone.

Why Security Matters

Much of your identity is electronically accessible. And many “secure” aspects of your digital identity—such as your health records or your tax returns—rely on one or two pieces of so-called “unbreachable” information, such as your Social Security Number and your date of birth.

Thus, if someone can hack into your phone and read a “Happy Birthday” message, and a reference to “The Big 4-0,” that hacker will now always know your date of birth. And if they have your SSN# in hand, then your world is open to them: investments, bank balances, vacation itineraries, you name it.

Any Android use that involves your own funds, such as sending money to your college kid, gambling online, or even ordering food for delivery, should be protected with cutting-edge security features.

“But phones are meant to be secure,” you may state. Let’s take a look at how safety compromises happen:

Loopholes in the System

• Firmware bugs can be uploaded into the phone rather easily, since the Android platform was designed to be customizable by manufacturers. And it is customized, but not always in a benevolent manner. For instance, some bugs can record your calls and/or pictures, while other bugs can prevent a user from accessing his or her information stored on the device.
• Affirmative acceptance required for updates is an issue, on both PCs and on phones. You are in the middle of a project, or a call, and you receive a warning that your device needs an update, and do you want to install it now or later? Many impatient users push the update to “later,” and ultimately avoid uploading the security update due to the idea that the update is not important. This leaves our devices vulnerable to ever-evolving threats that updates can barely keep ahead of.
• Updates and Security Patches take time to develop. When phones are compromised, the company is alerted and the rush to create a “fix” begins. But in the meantime—during the weeks and months the fix is in development—your Android device is weak and open to attack.

Tips for Added Protection

1. Use a security scanning service for Android, such as AVG Antivirus, Norton, McAfee or another well-vetted choice.
2. Do not use the same password for all of your applications. For instance, instead of using your dog’s name and your height in inches (Fido68) for everything that requires a password, consider using Fidofunds68! for banking, Fidobills68! for utilities, and Fidocredit68! for your Visa bill. Notice the exclamation point…special characters greatly improve a password’s usefulness.
3. Do not use public wifi at coffee shops, libraries and public spaces. These wifi systems are easily hacked into and your information becomes visible to others in the area.
4. Consider using two-step authentication if you engage in cryptocurrency or other high-dollar transactions. Because Bitcoin and other cryptos are identifiable via a digital code, rather than your name and address, if you lose them, they are gone for good.

Stay Safe from Hackers

Yes, building effective walls is a bit of a hassle, but it is nothing compared to being stranded in another city and finding out your credit cards have been hacked and maxed out. Save yourself the headache and take these proactive steps to secure you and your money and your sensitive information.

The need for electronic vigilance is modern reality. If Jeff Bezos can be hacked, you can, too. Do you lock your doors at night? Of course you do. This is no different.