Securing your Android device is a good way to protect yourself and your personal data from possible cyber threats. Here’s how.
It has been several months now since Russia invaded Ukraine, but fears about Cybersecurity keep growing. Long before the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, the Americans were already accusing Russia of cyberattacks against Ukrainian sites, in particular on the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense as well as two banks.
Good that the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) declared that there was no tangible cyber threat against the United States, the American agency also explained that these potential cyber attacks would rather target infrastructures.
CISA recommends that everyone prepare, just in case. And securing your mobile device is a good first step when it comes to developing your cyber defense. Here are six ways to protect your phone data.
Keep your OS up to date
Updating your operating system fixes known security flaws and other bugs. Failure to do so leaves your device exposed to malicious people, and therefore exposes your personal data. Some people delay the installation of updates so as not to experience the bugs of the first versions, but waiting too long can be very harmful.
Enable two-factor authentication
Two-factor authentication (2FA) adds a second layer of security to your Android account in case your password is compromised. With 2FA, once you have entered your password, a second message is sent to another device to verify that it is you who is trying to connect. It adds a bit of time to the identification process, but this extra security measure is definitely worth the cost.
Use a password manager
If you have trouble remembering multiple passwords and setting unique passwords for each of your accounts, a password manager can help. These utilities go hand-in-hand with 2FA, can securely store your passwords, and some even autofill login pages. They can also protect you against phishing attacks that can send you to fraudulent sites in an attempt to recover your credentials.
Encrypt your Android device
Since 2015, Google has required manufacturers of Android smartphones to offer an encryption method. Once the device is encrypted, all data stored on it is protected by a valid PIN, fingerprint, pattern or password. Without this key, even Google cannot unlock the device.
Delete your data from Google
Android being a Google product, data from an unencrypted device may be stored on a Google server. You can check with Google what it has about you, and ask Google to delete this data. The process can take time and Google doesn’t guarantee that it will agree to do it, but the payoff is worth it – your data can’t be stolen if it’s not in the stolen system.
As a last resort, erase the device
If you’ve lost your phone or it’s been stolen, you can wipe it remotely. The process is simple and quick. This erases all data on the phone. In other words, if you have any sensitive data that you absolutely don’t want to lose, get into the habit of backing up your phone to another device.