Wondering how secure your Android smartphone is? Well, a 9-year-old cybersecurity expert has demonstrated how hackers could steal contacts, call logs and messages within just 15 minutes.
The post 9-year-old cybersecurity expert hacks Android smartphone in minutes appeared first on We Live Security.
How do I find my apps on this thing?
Not too many years ago we had phones that only made calls. Smartphones are the newest generation of phones that bring a lot of possibilities right to our fingers through the apps specifically designed for them. We all got used to the Windows (or Mac) world, but now we are witnessing a revolution from “standard” programs and some specialized tools to a world where every common thing can be done by our smartphones. Sometimes it seems, that the device is smarter than we are!
But can it protect itself from the increasing number of threats?
You’ll find a lot of articles on the Internet which state that security companies exaggerate the need for mobile security and antivirus protection. You’ll read that Google Play and the new security technologies of Android Lollipop are the only things necessary for security. I could post many examples of such (bad) tips, but I don’t want to waste your time or mine.
Do you use only Google Play as your app source?
A common (and wise) security tip is to stick with Google Play for downloading apps. This is good advice despite the fact that we see here in the Avast blog that Google Play fails to detect some apps as malware. Look for our mobile malware senior virus analyst Filip Chytry’s articles. He continuously discovers holes in Google Play security.
However, what if you want apps that have been banned from Google Play? No, I’m not talking about (just) adult apps. Google banned anti-ad apps, for instance. So where is a safe place to get them? The answer is simple: outside of Google Play. The Amazon Appstore for Android is quickly increasing the possibilities.
Do you think that clean apps can’t become bad ones?
Clean apps can become bad ones, and with the new Google Play permission scheme, you may not even notice. This makes updating your apps (another very common and wise hint) an additional complication.
As the apps we love can turn against us, the best tip of all is that you install a mobile security app that helps you know what it being added to your phone. Avast Mobile Security updates its virus database very often to detect the latest threats and allows you to install securely all the apps you love.
This makes you smarter than your smartphone! 
More than three quarters (77%) of Americans aged 65 and older are now using cellphones. While they lag the general population (91%+), it is a significant increase over two years ago, according to recently released studies conducted by the Pew Research Center. Â But a much smaller group (only 18%) of this demographic has made the leap to a smartphone. The older the person, the research suggests, the less likely they have been to make the move to a smartphone.
In support of the findings, many of the seniors that I know tend to own older model cellphones that are either a) turned off, or b) not carried at all or used only under special circumstances (for travel and at insistence of family on special occasions), and c) are not used for more than actual phone calls.
But this is changing fast.
Seniors are showing a larger appetite for and are finding more value in larger format devices like tablets and e-readers. The Pew survey found 27% of seniors now own a tablet, e-reader or both (and that’s more than the public average).
Smartphone adoption should continue among seniors as new devices like the new Samsung Galaxy, Amazon Fire and Apple iPhone 6 continue to get larger and become easier to read and manipulate. In fact, the researchers at Deloitte predict that people 55+ Â (that would include Boomers through seniors) will experience the fastest growth in smartphone adoption in 2014, with 45-50% predicted to own a smartphone by the end of 2014.
Financial considerations for many seniors (especially those on fixed incomes) and confusion about career plans have no doubt led to a lag in smartphone adoption. But needing assistance to learn how to use the new devices and associated apps is one of the largest concerns by seniors (77%) in adopting smartphone technology, according to Pew.
This should be a concern to us in the technology industry. Shouldn’t we be making technology that is inherently simple to adopt? Shouldn’t we be designing apps for that –and, more specifically, with seniors in mind?
AARP thinks so. The organization just introduced a new tablet the RealPad aimed at this market. (I’ll cover this in more detail in my next column.)
During the recent national AARP event in San Diego, where AVG participated, we were concerned to learn that about one-third of the seniors we spoke to admitted that they use no security software on their smartphone or tablet devices. That suggests there is a lot of work to be done to help educate this audience on how to stay safe online.
Security of data is a primary issue when dealing with a smartphone or any smart connected devices – whether it involves sharing photos on social media, emailing or banking. Once online, Pew and others have found that the senior demographic is rapidly embracing social media (46%). In the brief survey of those who stopped by our booth on technology usage (we’ll share more details on this later), email was the most popular online application for the group, followed by banking.
Here are some simple tips for smartphone users to make data safer – applicable to everyone:
I am very excited that more seniors are embracing smartphones and tablets. Â They are great tools to keep connected with family and friends, be active and engaged. Â Now, we in the tech industry must catch up with them and provide the tools to make it more useful and enjoyable!
People expect that they are being watched online in cyberspace, but who would expect to be spied on by the people closest to them? You better watch out – your partner may be spying on you more than the NSA: One in five men and one in four women admitted to checking their partner’s smartphone in a survey with 13,132 respondents conducted by AVAST in the United States.
Playing detective
The survey found that while the majority of women check their partner’s device because they are nosey, a quarter of married women suspect their spouse is cheating on them and want to find evidence.
Married women are not the only ones who suspect their partner is cheating on them. The reason why most men pry on their partner is because they too are afraid their better half is being unfaithful and want to confirm their suspicions – especially if the relationship is fresh.
Caught red handed
One may think that people who snoop on their significant other to find evidence of cheating or lying are being paranoid. Unfortunately, the majority of them are not paranoid–their gut feeling is often correct. Seven out of ten women and more than half of men who turn to their partner’s device to find proof their partner is deceiving them, have found evidence. Which of the two sexes is more likely to confront their partner regarding their findings? Women. The survey revealed that women are 20% more likely than men to confront their partner with the facts.
“Picking†the mobile lock
Cracking their partner’s device passcode wasn’t necessary for the greater number of snoopers. A shockingly high percentage of respondents claimed they didn’t need a passcode to gain entry to their significant other’s device. Women did, however, have an easier time with 41% reporting their partner’s device did not have a passcode compared to the 33% of men. Coming in at a high second, both male and female respondents claimed to know their partner’s device passcode because their partner had shared it with them in the past, unknowingly setting themselves up to get caught.
An eye for an eye
More than half of men and women who check their significant other’s device think their partner checks their device as well. There seems to be a low level of trust between partners who feel the need to keep tabs on their significant other.
The survey results show that respondents who just started dating and check their new companion’s device are less likely to suspect their new love of doing the same, compared to snoopers in established relationships. People in long term relationships were the most likely to think their partner does the same behind their backs.
Tips to protect your privacy
Be it from your partner or somebody who finds your lost phone – you should always protect your mobile devices from prying eyes.
Everyone should protect their smartphones and tablets with passcodes, even if you aren’t worried about snoopers. Passcodes not only make it more difficult for nosey partners to access secrets and surprises, but can also protect your data should your device get lost or stolen.
Apps that contain sensitive information deserve an extra layer of protection. With avast! Mobile Security’s app locking feature you can password protect your most precious apps.
Backing up your mobile data allows you to save your data to the cloud so you can delete old data from your phone. This not only prevents data loss, whether you lose your phone or accidentally delete data from your phone, but can prevent your partner from finding out about activity you want to keep to yourself. avast! Backup backs up your call log history, SMS, contacts and photos for free.
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