Here’s How to Protect Your Internet Privacy on Android Device for Better Experience
In today’s generation, Smartphone is among the most popular device ever invented in the realms of technology-based devices. Our life has become so much dependent upon it that something seems missing, even a day without it. However, regular users may give prominent value due to the convenience it offers. But tech companies give importance due to different reasons, and the biggest one is that it helps collect data on every activity user do on Smartphone.
We often keep an awful lot of critical information on these smartphones, and as a result, these devices know much better about us then someone else. For instance, our favorite hangouts and hobbies, location, and contact everyone share some of this information without questioning the services that we use like Google.
Nevertheless, everyone likes to maintain their privacy, and it’s even a human right, but when it comes to sharing information on Smartphone can become a nightmare, especially if you’re an Android user.
Though protecting privacy on Android devices can become an overwhelming task, it’s not that complicated. Before we jump into it, let’s first understand what types of threats linger around that it should become a second nature for users to stay concerned and take proactive steps to secure it.
Security Threats Pertaining to Online Privacy on Android Device
There’s a number of different security threats that every user has to keep an eye on. But all are not possible to list in one place. Still, here we’ve listed some of the commonly seen security threats. For example,
Surveillance of Government Intelligence
Surveillance communities like the 14 Eyes intelligence are one of the biggest privacy concerns for users. It refers to a group that consists of 14 countries that track user’s internet activity. In other words, if any user’s data or activity goes through the country that comes under 14 eyes intelligence, it’ll no longer be considered private. Most probably, it’ll be under the surveillance of the Government, which means the user will not be able to hide their internet activity and also will not be able to do any of those that are restricted by the Government of that country.
Sharing of Browser & Website Activity
Usually, mobile web browsers collect certain details about your internet connection and your activity. The reason to track information is to help visit the website load faster and correctly when you visit it again. However, mobile browsers may go ahead of their limit and track more than needed information.
For example, if you’ve noticed that whenever you try logging into your online banking account from a new location or device, your bank’s website makes you go through extra security steps to make sure you’re the one who’s accessing the account. It’s due to the browser fingerprint. However, for advertisers, the same browser fingerprint can be used for their advantage. And, the more information they can gather about your mobile browsing habits, the better they’ll be able to target ads to you.
Another famous example where user’s data gets collected is website cookies. Cookies are small digital files that are stored by the websites you visit onto your device. The reason behind it is to create a personalized browsing experience and to decrease the loading time. But sometimes, partners of the website you visit, like advertisers or analytic companies, can place third-party cookies onto your browser. And the collected information can be used for monitoring your internet activity or displaying ads.
Search Engines
Search Engine plays a huge role in the life of internet users. Daily, it’s used by billions. Some of the popular search engines like Google is the go-to for finding any information. And it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Google and other search engines collect a lot of information about their users.
For instance, some of the basic information collected by Search Engines are like:
- IP Address
- Cookie-ID stored in Cookies that works as a unique identifier.
- Date and time you visited website
- Search query you used
Such collected data is provided to advertisers who personalize your information for creating targeted advertisements. And at worse, many search engines are even asked to provide all this collected data to a court or government agency, which means whatever you search for isn’t private, and your privacy always stays at risk.
However, it doesn’t mean that it’ll be used against you, but yes, there’ve been certain scenarios and real cases where people’s search histories were used against them in criminal court cases, custody, or divorce.
Non-HTTPS Websites
Stay alert that you don’t share information on non-secure websites that don’t have HTTPS (SSL/TLS certificate) installed. Websites that don’t have SSL/TLS certificate installed are open to third parties like your ISP (Internet Service Provider) or attackers. They can view all the information shared on the internet as it’s transferred. On the other hand, if the website has an SSL certificate installed, your browser and website server’s connection will stay safe and encrypted.
Malware Infected Malicious Apps
Malicious apps infected by viruses and malware are another headache for android devices. You’ve to be extra careful what you install onto your device. Many users install apps from third-party sources. The chances are that users may come across apps that look legit but infected with viruses, worms, ransomware, spyware, and adware that may create privacy issues.
Furthermore, malware is even hard to detect. For instance, if any user gets an app infected with malware, their privacy may become questionable. If any backdoor is installed by malware, then cybercrooks can access the device and steal or modify your files and data. At worse, they can even get control of your device remotely without your knowledge.
Here’s How to Protect Privacy on Android
In other words, information such as:
- Phone Calls
- Texting
- VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) Calls
- Searching through popular search engines like Google
- Visiting websites
- Sending or receiving emails
- Posting any post on social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook
- Storing files, and data using Amazon Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, Google Cloud Storage, or Dropbox
- Online payment, mobile banking
Are quite commonly done using smartphones. So, it’s a no-brainer how important your Smartphone is and how cautious you should be in today’s digital age where cybercrimes are growing daily.
However, you can do some things to protect yourself, even many online privacy blogs. An online privacy guide is readily available that offers different methods used to protect online privacy. Though, it can become overwhelming to apply all at once. So, here we’ve come out with a solution, and we’ve listed some of the important steps you can take to protect your online privacy.
Subscribing VPN
Subscribing to a respected VPN solution is one of the easiest steps you can take. Online privacy with a VPN goes hand-to-hand. For privacy enthusiasts investing in a VPN is one of the best solutions. Most premium VPN providers like NordVPN or ExpressVPN are globally trusted for computers and laptops, and further, it’s also used for Android devices that include tablets and smartphones.
These easy-to-setup VPNs come with some of the best comprehensive security features that help maintain your privacy. For instance, a VPN can help protect your internet connection by preventing privacy breaches. Lastly, VPNs comes with multiple layers and protection method that helps you stay anonymous and private.
Strong Passwords
Having a strong password is a simple yet effective way to secure your privacy. It also means that you should’ve got a master password for locking your devices such as tablets or smartphones for android users.
Agreed, you’ve been told many times that you shouldn’t reuse the same passwords for more than one accounts, and still, we’ll repeat the same thing, that yes, you shouldn’t use the same password for multiple accounts. Though, here we’ve mentioned some Do’s and Don’ts that we believe everyone should look into for better and stronger passwords.
Do’s
- Make use of multifactor authentication or else two-factor authentication. It’s effective and easier to setup.
- Change passwords periodically, especially when a data breach occurs.
- Create long, hard to guess, and complex passwords that contain numbers, special characters, upper- and lower-case alphabets.
- Use a master password such as a PIN or alpha-numeric password that offers more security.
Don’ts
- Same password for more than one accounts.
- Passwords that can be easily guessed, such as your pet’s name or birthdate.
- Passwords that are made of simple terms like “12345” or “password.”
- Password recovery questions that can be answered easily.
Secure Payment Methods
Everyone loves online shopping, but if you do it through websites that don’t use secure payment methods, it can leave you open to attacks like identity theft. It’s suggested that you verify whether they’re providing enough security to secure payment information.
Verify Browser Settings
Browsers routinely collect and hand out certain information about the users. If you’re using only one specific browser, it’s best to limit the data to be stored on your browser. For instance, it’s best practice to clean your DNS cache files and cookies to prevent the risk of being tracked or fingerprinted by your browser.
Change Search Engine
Many search engines, especially Google, collect and store different types of information about users. Some of the information is even passed on to third parties as well. Though some good alternatives of Google search engine that you can look for are like DuckDuckGo, it doesn’t force their users to give up on their privacy and is even available for Android similar to PC. Lastly, it doesn’t even make use of previous search history for structuring your search results.
Subscribe to Firewall & Anti-malware Software
As technology is advancing, so as the security apps and software and nowadays, anti-malware and firewalls aren’t limited to computers, and it’s even available for smartphones.
Furthermore, for protecting yourself from such malicious apps, programs, and apps, it’s best to subscribe to firewall and anti-malware apps. It helps to scan your Android device for suspicious or harmful files, or else if you visit any malicious website, it alerts you about it.
Similarly, Firewalls monitor your traffic coming to your device, as you don’t have much control over how apps behave after its installation, and firewalls can help you track that. It monitors app actions and makes sure that any unauthorized data is not downloaded or sent through your device.
Social Media Settings & Privacy Policy
Social Media platform have certain controversies regarding their privacy policies and how they manage user’s data. The most recent example is Facebook, where they received criticism for selling users’ data to advertisers.
You should avoid sharing too much information on social media platforms. Though it may seem unimportant, it can describe a lot about you if all your data is put together. And it can even be used to harm you as well. For example, regularly posting while revealing your location using geotags can prove risky for identity fraud or any other malicious activity.
On the other hand, if you’re not keen to give up on social media platforms, then it’s suggested that you research privacy policies and how your account is controlled. Also, monitor privacy settings and limit the number of people who can view your post.
Download Apps From Trusted Source & Review Their Permission
Various types of apps are available, and according to October 2019, Google Play store had offered 2.5+ Million options to choose from. For example, games, social media platforms, weight loss, or productivity tools. Likewise, the app can have malware or any other privacy-related issue that can prove risky if it’s not properly reviewed.
For protecting yourself, it’s suggested that you download from trusted sources and the reputed developers. Also, make sure that you go through user reviews and check the ratings to know what other users think about it. Also, review the permission requested by the app.
Lastly, it’s suggested that you disable location access permission because many apps track user behavior like where you do your shopping or how often and where you travel to sell such information to third parties or display targeted ads.
Summary
Agreed, it’s not possible to acknowledge every single threat and related solution. But here we’ve suggested some of the important steps to protect your online privacy on Android devices that you can follow to secure yourself from the lingering online privacy issues.
