Friday, September 14, 2012

How to protect your Andriod-based Mobile?

Andriod Phone Security Tips

Unlike iPhone users, who can only download apps from iTunes, Android phone users have the ability to download apps from pretty much anywhere, rather than being locked into Google Play, the official Android store.


This open market policy offers an easy distribution method for malicious applications. In effect, this means that anyone can write an app and as Android users have no restrictions on what they can install on their smartphones or Tablet Computers, the potential to inadvertently install a malicious app is a very real security issue.

According to specialist anti virus ecurity company Sophos, in 2010 there were around 40 threats and in 2011 the number increased to more than 400. Evidence for 2012 suggests that this number will continue to increase.

Here are a few Andriod phone security tips that will reduce your risk of installing malware.


Avoid unknown sources


You have the option of installing Android apps and games from sources other than Google Play (sometimes known as sideloading). The problem is that many third-party app stores are not safe. If you choose to download an APK file and install it yourself, you could be putting malware on your device.


You may also be sent an APK file in an email or a text message, or you could be prompted to install one after clicking on a link in your web browser. It’s best not to install these unless you are certain it is safe.


To safeguard against inadvertent installation, make sure that the ability to install apps from unknown sources is turned off. This is generally off by default but it is worth checking. In Android 4.0 and above, go to Settings > Security and make sure Unknown sources is disabled. In previous versions of Android, hit Settings > Applications to ensure the Unknown sources box is not ticked. If you use the Amazon App Store, or perhaps you need to sideload an app for your work, then you can always go ahead and tick the Unknown sources box to allow installation to proceed and then disable it again. Just ensure that it is off by default to prevent you from inadvertently installing something dodgy.


Use Google Play


For the most part, the apps and games in Google Play should be safe but just because it’s available through the official Android app store does not mean it’s definitely safe to download. Make sure that you check the rating and read the reviews from other users on each app.


This can highlight potential problems and also technical issues you might encounter with your particular model or device. Don’t rely on Google Play reviews alone because app store ratings can be misleading. In general, the higher the rating and the more downloads an app has had, the safer it is to download. The biggest risk is from new releases which have very little feedback posted. If it hasn’t been downloaded many times and there isn’t much to go on then you might want to do a bit more research before you download.


Search for app reviews online


If you are uncertain about an app then just do a quick Web search. Make sure that the developer and/or publisher has a legitimate website. Try to find independent reviews or discussions in forums. The more separate sources you can find on the app, the better.


Make sure that you have the correct app. Some malware writers will create apps that are designed to look exactly like another popular established app. Check that the app name, developer, and publisher are all correct.


Improve your privacy with the following Andriod phone security tips


One of the main concerns nowadays is privacy. There are a lot of apps available for your mobile devices that use GPS for geolocation to know your current location, just like a photo embedded with your location that will be uploaded in social networking sites.


Anyone around the world will know where you are or where you live once you upload it on the internet. Usually, the apps will ask if you allow your location to be displayed the first time you open. You should not allow it if you are concerned for privacy.


Enabling the Passcode of your device and locking the screen will help you from other people to explore your contents. Different methods for every smartphones and tablets will vary in the procedures on how to enable passcode. For Android devices, connect-the-dots pattern is available while Apple devices possess slide to unlock and entering your Passcode.


This is the primary security measure that everyone should activate when having a new device.

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