ALL Android phone owners should follow four cyber tips to stay safe online.
That’s the advice of cyber experts who say you can easily get hacked if you make simple mistakes.
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Hacking techniques are more advanced than ever before.
The consequences of a hack can now also be more damaging, with photos, messages and finances stored online.
It’s easy to think that using one or two sensible Android phone settings can keep you safe, but it’s not enough.
That is the advice of cyber expert Roger Grimes, who warns users to be much more tech-savvy.
“Anyone who thinks that an institution ensures that someone is not exploited by hackers or malware doesn’t really understand how hackers hack,” KnowBe4’s Roger told The US Sun.
“99% of hacking is done through social engineering and unpatched software, which no institution can prevent.
It’s literally a bogus, good idea; enabling any setting on your cell phone will do little to nothing to stop attackers.
“The best way to stop hackers and malware can’t be stopped by an ‘institution’.”
Roger gave us four tips that Android users should follow to stay safe.
Android Security Tip #1
First, it’s important to be more aware of social engineering tricks.
These are hackers’ tricks to take advantage of you using social tricks.
That means reading up on the latest hacking attacks and being alert when you receive unsolicited texts or emails.
It is important to never give your private information to anyone without first verifying who they are.
Remember: friends or family may have been hacked themselves, so call the person asking you to transfer money via WhatsApp to make sure it’s legit.
Android Security Tip #2
The second tip is to always make sure your software is updated.
Google regularly fixes security bugs with software updates.
So make sure your Android version is always up to date, as well as all the apps you use.
Android Security Tip #3
Third, make sure you use multi-factor authentication to log in.
That usually means signing up to receive SMS codes when you try to sign up for a service.
But you can also use authentication apps (or even physical authenticators) for more security.
It means there is an extra layer of protection beyond your password.
It is important that you never share these two-factor codes with anyone else.
It’s a common trick to receive a text message from someone claiming they accidentally sent you their code – and you need to pass it on 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 prevent multiple accounts from being hacked if a single 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.
“There are no other defenses, other than these four, that would have the most impact in mitigating cybersecurity risks,” explains Roger.
“It’s the world’s lack of focus on these four defense mechanisms that has made hackers and malware so successful for so long.”
If you think you’ve been hacked, make sure you change your passwords as soon as possible – and log out of all other sessions on the app if you can.