How to Protect Android Devices from Cyber-Attacks

Ransomware is very common on PCs but you need them for your Android devices as well. Because evil criminals have the ability to access all your data on the mobile phone as well. They will then extract all that they want to. And in most of the cases (read: almost all), you won’t even realize that someone is accessing data from your device.

This can be dangerous because you are very likely to lose your contact list, messages, photos and even call history. The worst part? The hacker might ask you to pay a ransom before you can start using your mobile phone again. And even after you do, getting back your data is not guaranteed.

You might not realize but Botnets are also responsible for infecting your phones. Botnets are, by far, the largest source of scam emails. For those of you who do not know, botnets are networks that the criminals control for malicious activities.

As mentioned above, you might not realize but the number of malicious apps is growing. And the number keeps on increasing as the use of mobile becomes more and more common. You may not have the knowledge but these apps are capable of purchasing apps from your app store and even pay for them. And you won’t even know. Where does the spent money go, you ask? Well, it rests in the pockets of the criminals.

It is not necessary for you to install an app for such an attack. Sometimes it can also happen without you downloading or installing an app. This is scarier because you get attacked without any action from your side.

You should patch your systems frequently. The reason for this is that the Androids have an open system. Which make it easy for the manufacturers to identify the flaws and patch them. The mobile phone manufacturing companies suggest that the consumers should put their devices on the automatic update setting. So that their smartphones are always equipped with the latest software.

You may think that installing antivirus is just a desktop thing, but you need to invest in security software to protect your mobile against any cyber-attacks from the hackers. These software aim at protecting your devices from malicious attacks (cyber-attacks). You might have to spend a couple of bucks but it will be a worth it investment.

Investing in security software will save you from losing your hundreds of dollars’ worth of mobile phone.

You must be very careful when you sell your mobile to someone. The first and foremost thing is to wipe all the data from your phone. Because anyone who will have access to your data will try to exploit you. Well, not everyone but this world is a cruel place and you cannot trust anyone.

Apart from erasing the data, you should also reset your device to the original factory settings. This will not give any criminal the chance of misusing your data. This is in case you sell your mobile to one (without realizing, of course).

If you do not find your stolen phone well in time, you should not forget about it. It may not be an expensive device, but the data inside is precious. Therefore, you should always report stolen phones. Report it to your local law enforcement authority. You can then register your stolen phone wi.ht your wireless provider.

This step helps to brick your phone. Which means that all networks get a notice that this is a stolen phone and none of the wireless service providers will offer their services for it. Simple but an important step.

Apart from that, you should also look out for the Internet offers that come installed with antivirus and malware. Many companies include them free. It acts as an additional layer of security.