Your tablet or phone may seem intrinsically less private than your
computer, but this isn't necessarily the case. Mobile networks such as
3G and 4G are harder to infiltrate than public Wi-Fi hotspots, so a
hacker will find it trickier to spy on your 3G-connected tablet than on
your hotspot-connected PC. On the other hand, anyone can pick up your
mobile device and swipe through your photos, messages and other secrets,
so make sure you lock the screen with a passcode that only you know.
You also need to be careful when installing apps that
might be malicious. Just like Desktop programs, mobile apps can contain
spyware that criminals use to steal your private data and follow your
every move. The Android platform is particularly vulnerable in this
regard . Unlike iOS, Windows Phone and Kindle, Android is an open
platform, which essentially means that anyone - including hackers - can
make an Android app and tout it on the open market.
“Android is the riskiest mobile platform in terms of security,” said Toralv Dirro at McAfee Labs (www.mcafee.com/uk),
speaking in April. “In McAfee Labs’ most recent Threat Report we found a
slight drop in the growth of mobile malware during the first quarter of
2013, but Android malware still managed to increase by 40 per cent.”
Android device for malware, Trojans and
spyware
This means that it’s just as important to have anti-virus software
installed and updated on your Android device as it is on your PC. McAfee
recently updated its Mobile Security app, McAfee Antivirus 8
Security, which gives you anti-virus, privacy and a security suite for
free. The new Android version of the excellent security program, Malwarebytes Anti-Malware, scans your phone and SD card
for malware, Trojans and spyware, and checks your installed apps for
privacy-violating permissions.If Malwarebytes finds an app that’s
accessing your private data, it lets you edit the app’s permissions or
disable it completely.
Clueful is a new app for Android and iOS from the makers of antivirus program Bitdefender.
It tells you what your tablet or phone knows about you, and how your
device uses this information. It runs in the background and reveals
which apps try to track your location, access your photos, view your
contacts or use urmecessary permissions to access your personal data. If
any app suddenly does something to compromise your such as share your
personal details with third parties or send your password unencrypted
over the internet, you’ll be alerted immediately. All its findings are
added to the Bitdefender Cloud, a virtual security database of hundreds
of thousands of apps. Anonymous search service
DuckDuckGo also has apps for Android, iOS and BlackBerry, as well as a sister app (Search & Stories: https://duckduckgo.com/app) that makes anonymous searching even easier on Android and iOS. Tor has a sister app called Orbot, which lets you use other apps such as Facebook and Twitter without being monitored by your network provider, but it only works on Android. Incognito browser InBrowser doesn’t provide quite the same level of anonymity as Orbot, but it’s available for iOS as well as Android and never stores your history or cookies.
DuckDuckGo also has apps for Android, iOS and BlackBerry, as well as a sister app (Search & Stories: https://duckduckgo.com/app) that makes anonymous searching even easier on Android and iOS. Tor has a sister app called Orbot, which lets you use other apps such as Facebook and Twitter without being monitored by your network provider, but it only works on Android. Incognito browser InBrowser doesn’t provide quite the same level of anonymity as Orbot, but it’s available for iOS as well as Android and never stores your history or cookies.
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