CHECK your Android phone – you could be making a big mistake.
If you don’t install new updates regularly, you may be at serious risk, cyber experts have told The Sun.
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Modern smartphones are packed with security features.
But your phone is only as secure as you let it be.
We spoke to Brian Higgins, a security specialist at Comparitech, who shared exactly how to stay secure on an Android phone.
“Specifically for Android phones, make sure you’re using the most up-to-date version of Google Play Protect,” Brian told The Sun.
“Then make sure you have installed all available Android updates for your device.
“These services are constantly changing as new vulnerabilities are discovered, so it’s absolutely critical that you regularly check to make sure you’re using the latest versions.
“The time between the release of an update and its installation is the most dangerous, as criminals know something is wrong with the system and will do whatever it takes to exploit it.
“Always ‘Update Now’. Never wait.”
Importance of updating
From time to time your Android phone needs to be updated.
This doesn’t seem to matter – especially if your phone is working fine.
It’s easy to think of Android updates as just delivering new features.
However, installing updates is also important to ensure you have the latest security fixes.
A whole range of phone manufacturers use Android – including Google, Motorola and Samsung.
This applies to both your Android system itself and the apps you use.
These updates can fix dangerous vulnerabilities used by hackers to exploit your system.
It’s easy enough to update your phone and could save you a lot of trouble.
First, go into your phone’s Settings app, then tap About phone at the bottom.
Then select the Android version to see if you have the latest update.
Now open Settings and go to System > System update to get new updates.
Google security check
You can also specifically search for security updates.
Go to Settings > Security, then tap Google Security Check-up.
You can also select Google Play System Update to see if there are updates specific to Google Play – the Android app store.
Follow the on-screen instructions to install your updates.
Depending on your phone, you may receive some updates later than other people.
Google’s own Pixel phones usually get Android updates first, while other manufacturers take some time to release their versions of the upgrades.
If you have a very old Android phone that can no longer be updated, you can put yourself at significant risk of being hacked.
So if you stop getting updates, you should upgrade to a newer model as soon as possible.
Some very old models simply cannot receive the latest updates.
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