Last updated April 12, 2019
Androids are powerful computers and with the number of apps available you can get them to do just about anything you want. It is easy to depend on your android and put loads of data on it, but one thing you do not want to forget is to protect your android mobile device.
Always remember that, as with any powerful computer, back up your data! Consider what would happen if your android was lost or stolen. Because your android is small and mobile it is an easy target for thieves and it can also be misplaced or lost.
Securing your information also means that you can lock down your data to make sure if the device is stolen that your data will be protected. A recent article in the Wall Street Journal, reported that Android users are at about 30% more risk for identity theft than other groups. They site the reason for high incidence of identity theft is the amount of information and the fact that users neglect to protect their Android, as someone would protect a powerful computer.
Like any computer it is critical to keep your android operating system software up-to-date. Contact your mobile service provider and/or your android device manufacturer to check for updates, if possible set your android to automatically check for and download updates. There are some mobile service providers who are lax about sending out updates and contacting them will sent the message that customers are watching for the updates and potentially incent them to be more diligent about making the updates available. Many of the updates are security upgrades that protect your android against the most recent hacking schemes and thwart the latest efforts to get into your android to steal your money and/or your identity.
When you are disciplined about backing up your data, if your android is lost or stolen, you may be out the device, but you will have your information. If you don’t back up your data, consider all of the information you will lose and how difficult it will be to get it back. You could lose photos, files, phone numbers and other contact information. It will be time consuming to recover your data and some will be gone forever.
Create a strong password to protect your device and never store your financial accounts username and password on the device. If a hacker gets in with your device password, they could have access to all of your financial accounts. It may be inconvenient to enter your user name and password each time, but consider what will happen if your device is lost or stolen and thieves get access to your accounts. Set your android to NOT save user name and passwords, so they are not stored on your device.
Get a software program that will lock down your data, track your device if it is lost or stolen with enhanced GPS and one that will even take screenshots of the sites the thief is visiting, passwords they enter and can even take a picture of the thief. You can then work with the police to recover your device and apprehend the culprits.
We would like to extend our thanks to Annie Bailey, who has been generous enough to help co-author today’s post. Annie blogs about android security and also writes for Mobile Spy an Android Spy App.