How To Improve The Security On Your Phone And Tablet

The default security features on your devices are usually not adequate to give you proper security. If you would like to make it harder for anyone to illegally access the data on your Android device, it is important to customize the security settings on your device. It is highly recommended that every Android user follows the steps below to improve the security on thier device:

1. Enable a strong screen lock password by going to Settings>Location and security>Set screen lock. It is recommended that you use an alphanumeric password instead of a numeric PIN or pattern as your password.

2. Enable the Remote controls  option (Under Settings>Location & Security) on your Android device. This will allow you to remotely lock, trace and wipe data from your Android phone in case it is lost or stolen. Alternatively, you could install a third-party app like Lookout on your Android device.

3. It is advisable that you never install an app on your Android device that has not been downloaded from the official Android market. Even while downloading an app from the official Android Market, make sure you read its reviews, check whether it is safe to use and confirm that other users did not face any security issues while using it. You can disable the installation of Non-Market apps by going to Settings>Application settings and unselecting the Unknown sources option.

4.Switch off the wirless and bluetooth functionality on your Android phone whenever you are not using them. This reduces the chances of unauthorized access to your device. To toggle the wireless and Bluetooth features on your device, go to Settings>Wireless and network settings or Bluetooth settings and change them on the basis of your preferences.

5.On certain Android versions you can encrypt all the contents of your phone and SD card so that none of the data stored on it can be accessed without entering an access password. To enable this encryption feature, simply press Settings>Security>Encrypt device.

6. Install an antivirus app on your mobile phone that will protect you against any infected files, malicious apps that you may download to your device and even SMS text message scams. For example, AVG is a free antivirus that goes a great job of protecting your Android device. You can download it from http://www.avg.com/in-en/antivirus-for-android.

Once you enable these additional security features on your Android device, it drastically reduces the chances of someone else illegally accessing your device.

On an iOS device, a four-digit numeric password is used by default to unlock the screen. Although a four-digit password is easy to remember and convenient to quickly type in, from a security perpective it is not very secure. To improve the security of your iOS device, it is advisable to switch from the four-digit numeric password to a traditional alphanumeric password. Alphanumeric passwords are tougher to guess or find out. In order to to this, tap on Settings>General>Passcode Lock. Turn the Simple Passcode option off and enable the Turn Passcode on option you will now be asked to enter a new alphanumeric password, which will be used in the future to unlock your screen.

1.It is also advisable to enable the Erase Data option on your iOS device, which will automatically erase all data from your device in case an incorrect unlock password is entered ten consecutive times. This additional security feature protects the confidential data on your iOS device from malicious users who are trying to guess your screen-unlock password. Moreover, if you enable this option,even if your iOS device gets stolen, at least the data on it will remain out of the hands of miscreants. To enable this option, go to Settings>General>Passcode lock and turn on Erase Data.

2. As with Android, switch off the Bluetooth and the Wi-Fi features on your iOS device by going to Settings and disabling them, whenever you are not using them. This reduces the chances of unauthorized access to your device.

3. It is good idea to install the Find My Iphone app, available as a free download from the iTunes App store, so that it is easy to trace it in case it goes missing. This app not only shows you the exact geographical location of your missing device on a map, it also gives you the option to remotely wipe out all data from it. Moreover, Find My Iphone will allow you to play a loud alarm on your missing device to scare off potential thieves or to help you locate your missing device if you have dropped it in a dark room. Finally, this app will also allow you to display a message on your missing device with your contact details.

Once you enable these additional security features on your iOS device, it signficantly minimizes the chances of someone else illegally accessing your device and stealing data from it/




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