By the end of this year, it’s predicted that some 750 million people across India will have smartphones, granting access to the internet and everything that it has to offer. Of course, the advent of the smartphone happened years ago here, with the market being remarkably embracing of the pocket-sized device’s potential.
Indians use mobile internet for just about everything, from banking and directions, to socialising and gaming, to shopping and watching sports. There’s a lot out there to explore, and the strength of modern technology can lull some into a false sense of security. With so much money and personal data being pumped into smartphones, your mobile security has to be of paramount importance. So, on this page, you’ll find five key ways in which you can enhance your mobile safety and the security of information.
Utilise the Payment Protection Services
Many people are perfectly happy putting their credit or debit card details into a website and saving them to their phone. While this is convenient, there is a much safer way to go about paying online that doesn’t even give vendors a direct view of your payment details. For years, people have been turning to eWallets to pay online while keeping their details hidden.
In India, PayTM is the largest eWallet platform, is widely accepted, and removes the need to use your bank card for each transaction. Alternate options include Google Pay, Neteller, Skrill, and PhonePe, all of which keep your details safe when you pay for stuff online.
Find Safe Websites Through Verified Reviewers
Regardless of what sector you’re looking at, the internet is swarming with options. If you’re looking to spend money online, you’ll want to make sure that you’re using the best regulated and secure sites, especially when it comes to activities like online gambling where the quality varies. The experts in the hub go through all of the available websites in India, deploying their expert team to ensure that their recommendations are regulated and safe to use.
With this established, they can then compare and rank the gambling sites through reviews, further helping the decision-making. Similar help can be found in different sectors online, such as pricedekho.com for tech product comparisons and finder.com for streaming provider comparisons.
Accessing the Internet via a Secure Browser
It has since been banned, but the popular UC Browser was found to have leaked the personal details and sensitive information about its users, as we detailed. The once-trusted provider has inadvertently shone the spotlight on the need for a safe, privacy-driven mobile browser. Perhaps the leading name in this regard is Firefox.
The app is free, automatically blocks thousands of online trackers, and boasts a tremendous range of add-ons. This is the unique selling point of Firefox: there are several security and privacy-enhancing add-ons that are optional to users, enabling an even more secure browsing experience. In case you were worried about losing your preferred search engine, you can customise the Firefox app to use whichever search engine that you prefer.
Even on Mobile, You Could Do with Antivirus Software
On a computer, most people have some antivirus software that they’ll commonly run to check for anything bad that’s broken into the device. On mobile, while the devices are quite secure, as are the best browsers, viruses still have the potential to breakthrough. As such, installing a verified antivirus app is seen as a necessity for many who want to keep all of the content stored on their mobile safe.
Most of the big-name computer antivirus providers offer an app version, too, with the likes of AVG, Avast, Kaspersky, and McAfee all providing top-class protection for a subscription. On the other hand, there’s Bitdefender Free Antivirus, which is completely free of charge and very simple to use.
Ensure That No One Can Snoop on Your Activity
Many people turn to VPNs to access region-restricted content, such as some movies or shows on streaming platforms, but a VPN app can also greatly enhance the security of your device. The technology essentially sends you and your data through a heavily encrypted tunnel, making you appear as though you’re browsing from the location of the VPN server while hiding all of the information that you’re sending to and from your online presence. There are many top-quality VPN brands available in India, but the leading names among the rankings tend to be ExpressVPN and TunnelBear.
By taking each of, or at least some of the steps above, you can greatly increase how safe and secure your data is when you use the internet via your smartphone in India.
