How to keep your Android smartphone safe from hacking
HOW TO ANDROID CYBER ATTACKS SPYING
How To Keep Your Android Smartphone Safe From Hacking?

 Android is the most common smartphone operating system in the world, with close to 2.5 billion phones using the software. However, Android also has a large number of vulnerabilities that allow hackers to sneak past its defenses and gain access to personal information, or even control the device. In fact, according to a recent study, there are 146 new pre-installed vulnerabilities in the operating system. The primary reason for this is that the platform is flexible and allows various manufacturers to tweak it according to their needs. Angelos Stavrou, the CEO of Kryptowire, the organization that studied the vulnerabilities, said that “we wanted to understand how easy it is for someone to be able to penetrate the device without the user downloading an application.”

“If the problem lies within the device, that means the user has no options. Because the code is deeply buried in the system, in most cases the user cannot do anything to remove the offending functionality,” he explained. Google, the parent company of Android, has pledged to fix these problems. However, while you may not be able to do much about the security vulnerabilities that come pre-packaged, there are many things you can do to protect yourself from other issues. In this article, we will explore the top ways you can protect your Android device from hackers. We will also evaluate in detail how an Android tracking app can help you in the process.

Table of Contents
Regular updates
Avoid open Wi-Fi
Use the Anti-malware app
App restrictions
Use VPN
Password protection
Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)
Beware of phishing emails
Data backup
Buy from reliable vendors
Miscellaneous risks and fixes
Regular updates
It is important to make sure that you regularly update your Android OS and all other apps installed in your device. This is because developers identify problems, fix vulnerabilities, and roll out new versions. Those vulnerabilities, which hackers can exploit, will remain if you do not update your device regularly.

Avoid open Wi-Fi
Avoid using open Wi-Fi networks because anyone with the relevant skills and technical know-how can snoop on you. Exercise caution and try using your data package if you really need to access the internet.


 
Use the Anti-malware app
Use an anti-malware app to protect your phone from malware. There are plenty of free and paid apps available, so see which one best suits your needs.

App restrictions
Review the apps installed on your phone, make sure you download apps via the Google Play Store, and always check what permissions the apps have. Hackers can use apps to gain access to your device, so exercise caution in this domain.

Use VPN
If you are traveling or need to use an open Wi-Fi network, make sure you are accessing the internet via a Virtual Private Network (VPN) since they can make the job of a hacker much more difficult.

Password protection
In addition to keeping your phone within your sights, you also need to make sure that you have a strong password. You can use a reliable password app to create and keep track of your passwords.

Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)
This system is designed to minimize risks of hacking by linking your Google account with your phone number.

Beware of phishing emails
Avoid opening enticing but suspicious URLs included in emails. These are designed to gather your personal information. You would be surprised to know how many people still keep falling for these scams because hackers use social engineering techniques against their targets. Exercise caution, and verify before you enter personal information anywhere.

Data backup
Always backup your data to avoid losing important files to hackers or thieves. Even if your phone is hacked or stolen, you can still get your data back.

Buy from reliable vendors
As mentioned earlier, most smartphone manufacturers tweak the base Android OS according to their product. However, not all vendors can release patches quickly to remove security vulnerabilities. Make sure you buy your phone from a reliable manufacturer that has a reputation for releasing quick updates.

Miscellaneous risks and fixes
The Android platform is the most common smartphone operating system in the world. The flexibility of the system makes it an attractive option for both smartphone manufacturers and app developers. However, this also creates opportunities for exploitation. There are many things you can do to make sure that your device is protected from hackers. Regularly update your device, have stronger passwords, use an anti-malware app, use VPNs and 2FA, review app permissions, backup your data, and always buy from reliable manufacturers with a solid reputation. That being said, these measures are primarily designed to prevent hackers from accessing your phone. However, we often misconstrue what it means to be a hacker. Typically, anyone exploiting vulnerabilities in a system to gain access to your information can be called a hacker. There are plenty of spyware apps designed to do so, and those using these apps do not have to be professional hackers, but can be those closest to you. Let’s take a look at one example of how spyware called XNSPY that can be used, as well as the kind of features it offers its users to collect your data.

The remote control and instant alert features of the app are particularly advanced. For example, a hacker can add a particular location, words, or contacts to the app’s watch list, and XNSPY will immediately notify them regarding any relevant activity on your device. The device can be remotely locked, the hacker can remove or block apps, and even wipe off all data from the phone. Email monitoring can also be enabled, and all browsing activity, along with bookmarks are readily accessible.

There are other features too, such as message monitoring through which all messages, even those exchanged via apps such as WhatsApp, Viber, Facebook Messenger, and others can be accessed remotely. There is a GPS tracking feature available to track the location of the device in real-time and go through location history. Furthermore, the geofencing functionality is utilized to stay alert to any changes in the location of the device. All of this can be accomplished remotely through the XNSPY control panel. XNSPY is compatible with all Android versions 4.0 and above.

The app costs only USD 5 which makes it a very affordable option that would-be hackers can use to spy on you. However, XNSPY is just one example of apps that are readily available on the market. These monitoring apps are primarily designed for parental monitoring or employee management. In the wrong hands, though, they can be used as spyware because of the detailed level of information they are capable of collecting. Bear in mind that using XNSPY or any other monitoring app in such a manner is illegal. Employers, for example, are legally bound to obtain the consent of their workforce before using these apps on company-owned devices, so they are aware of being monitored.