ALL Android phone owners must follow four cyber tips to stay safe online.
That’s the advice of cyber experts who say it’s easy to get hacked if you make simple mistakes.
Using the Google Authenticator is just one way to boost your Android securityCredit: Google
Hacking techniques are more sophisticated than ever.
The consequences of a hack can now be even more damaging as photos, messages and finances are stored online.
It’s easy to think that using a sensible Android phone setting or two can protect you, but that’s not enough.
That’s the advice of cyber expert Roger Grimes, who warns users to be far more tech-savvy.
“Anyone who thinks that a setting prevents someone from being exploited by hackers or malware doesn’t really understand how hackers hack,” KnowBe4’s Roger told The US Sun.
“99% of hacking attacks are carried out through social engineering and unpatched software, which no attitude can prevent.
“It’s literally a false feel-good idea; Enabling any setting on your phone will do little to stop attackers.
“The best way to stop hackers and malware can’t be stopped by ‘attitude’.”
Roger gave us four tips Android users should follow to stay safe.
#1 Android security tip
First, it’s important to be more aware of social engineering tricks.
These are tricks used by hackers to exploit you with social tricks.
That means staying up to date on the latest hacks and being on high alert if you receive unsolicited text messages or emails.
It is important that you never give your private information to anyone without first verifying who that person is.
Remember: Friends or family members may have been hacked themselves, so call the person asking you to transfer money via WhatsApp to verify it’s legitimate.
Android security tip #2
The second tip is to always make sure your software is updated.
Google regularly fixes security gaps through software updates.
So make sure your Android version is always up to date – as are all the apps you use.
Android security tip #3
Third, make sure you use multi-factor authentication to log in.
This usually means signing up to receive SMS codes when trying to sign up for a service.
But you can also use authenticator apps (or even physical authenticators) for more security.
It means there is an extra layer of protection alongside your password.
Never share these two-factor codes with anyone.
It’s a common trick to receive a text message from someone claiming they accidentally sent you their code – and you need to forward it to them.
This is a dangerous scam that you should always ignore.
Android security tip #4
Finally, make sure to use complex passwords that are unique to each app or service.
Complicated passwords are much harder to guess.
And by not reusing passwords, you avoid multiple accounts being hacked if a login is compromised or leaked.
To help you with this, you can use Google’s built-in password manager so you don’t have to remember all your login details.
“Apart from these four, there are no other defenses that would have the greatest impact on reducing cybersecurity risk,” Roger explained.
“It’s the world’s lack of focus on these four defenses that has made hackers and malware so successful for so long.”
If you think you’ve been hacked, change your passwords as soon as possible—and if possible, log out of all other sessions in the app.
