Before the age of modern smartphones, most people would not worry about getting spyware on their mobile handset. However, now that we store so much personal information on our portable devices, cyber-criminals have started to target them. Here are 10 ways to protect Android phones from spyware. It’s quite obvious for hacker to steal your data using these spywares, due to these tiny malfunctioned codes, you precious data are not secured. Today, we are going to elaborate 9 possible ways to protect your Android phone from these spyware.
App Avoidance
The most common way for spyware to get onto an Android phone is via a third-party application. An app is similar to a program for your computer and while it can be controlled and harnessed by you, putting one on to your device will also give the software access to other aspects of your handset. For this reason, you should try to avoid malicious apps and only pick those that are trusted. There are a few ways you can ensure that this is the case.
Customer Feedback
Firstly, you should be able to check on the reputation of an app via the customer feedback that is provided on the Google Play service and elsewhere online. User ratings will give you an indication not only about whether an app is useful but also whether or not it contains malicious code. Be aware that feedback can be manipulated by the app creators, so it is not a foolproof way of detecting an app’s legitimacy and safety.
Permission Settings
Each app will have various permissions relating to the features of your Android phone it should be able to access. If an app is asking to gain access to more of your content and data than it should really need then you should be suspicious. For example, there should be no need for a stopwatch app to be asking for permission to view your contact list. If apps seem to be asking too much in terms of permissions, it is best to get rid of them rather than risk infection.
Installation Advice
It is safest to download and install apps directly from the Google Play service, as there are at least some official filters and checks in place to weed out the most obvious kinds of spyware. It is possible to install apps via Android Package files (APKs), which bypasses this officially sanctioned route. However, doing so directly will put you at greater risk of infection and it can be hard to tell whether a file is legitimate or bogus until it is already doing damage to your device.
Publisher Research
As well as checking up on individual apps, you should see whether the listed publisher has any blemishes on its reputation before you install one of its products. A quick search of the web should give you the information you need, so people with broadband deals can learn about any app.
Security Software
There are dedicated security and spyware scanning apps available for Android phones, which work in the same manner as anti-virus suites on your PC. Download and install one on your phone to help you root out malicious apps, but remember to carry out regular scans to make sure nothing has slipped through.
Wi-Fi Safety
As a rule, when you are looking for a Wi-Fi network to use in conjunction with your Android phone you should avoid unsecured public networks since these can be used by scammers to steal personal data from unsuspecting users. Opt instead for public networks that are secured by passwords or a private connection which will put you at less risk.
Browsing Securely
There are sites that will recommend apps and downloads to users who have an Android phone, but these could well be malicious in nature and it is unwise to trust them unless you are confident about their trustworthiness.
Bluetooth
Another way that spyware can get on to your phone is via Bluetooth because if you have this turned on and make your handset visible in a public place then anyone can offer to send data direct to your device. If you receive a request from an unknown device, never accept it as it could be a scammer trying to find a backdoor to your Android handset. You should always use the same degree of caution and discretion when using your Android phone to surf the web and download apps that you would when using your laptop or desktop computer. Smartphones are essentially scaled-down PCs and their powerful hardware and software make them just as susceptible to malicious attacks.
Author’s Bio
Roxanne writes blog posts, news articles and guides for a number of tech websites and online and print publications. When not advising on the best broadband deals she can be found researching the latest smartphones and tablets.
