Internet security for Android

Data protection is becoming more and more important when dealing with Android smartphones. A VPN and a protected Internet browser promise security when surfing at home or on the road and also offer other advantages.

Public WLAN is popular, but also risky!

Most people today own a smartphone, without which our lives would no longer be imaginable, and the need to be networked everywhere and at all times is something that many people know only too well.

Accordingly, public space has changed in favour of the mobile society and adapted to customer needs. Starbucks is the best example of this, as the cafés have had a public WLAN network for coffee lovers for years. Little by little, smaller cafés and bars have also been equipped with WLAN to offer customers more than pure coffee enjoyment.

In the meantime, many large cities also have a public WLAN, which extends over the entire city centre and is freely available to every smartphone user.

This alternative is so popular because it saves data consumption and offers flexible location options. At the same time, careless surfing in public WLANs is dangerous and Android users in particular want to protect themselves and their personal data.

Why is data protection so important on the Internet?

Using the Android smartphone for texting, surfing the Internet, posting pictures or taking care of important matters on the go – all this is easier and faster with a public network.

Whether in a city park, café or restaurant – the Internet can be found everywhere today. Connecting to a public WLAN network poses a considerable security risk for Android users, as hackers are waiting for such an opportunity.

Among others, the following reasons speak for a critical handling of public networks:

  1. On the one hand, you can never be sure that the network is actually from the company or from a hacker. Giving a network a name only takes a few seconds and it appears that you are in the restaurant’s own WLAN. Once connected, it’s easy to intercept the unsecured data. The host of the network has insight into everything that the mobile phone owner does on the Internet or looks at and all sent or received data can be stored. For advertisers of all kinds, their data is invaluable and therefore it is all the more important for smartphone users to protect their own data and transmit it as encrypted as possible.
  2. A so-called VPN (virtual private network) is suitable for this, with which one’s own data can no longer be assigned in the network. Through the VPN, many users share a connection and IP address, which makes it impossible to trace individual data back to individual persons.
  3. In addition, geoblocking is bypassed by a disguised IP address, which gives you a virtual location on the network with which you can retrieve content from websites in other countries. Without VPN, this content would only be available in certain countries.
  4. A secure Internet browser can also be used to combat involuntary data collection. Since the pre-installed browsers cannot advertise with too much security, it is worth downloading browsers that make anonymous surfing possible and do not store your own data.

The 5 best VPN providers for Android

The safest way to use Android devices in public WLAN networks is to install a VPN on the smartphone so that sensitive data is encrypted and its origin is concealed.

All mails, passwords and chats can be read and stored without the VPN. In the following we present 5 well-known VPN providers that are popular among Android users:

ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN’s VPN offers an extremely high download speed so that websites and streaming services can be accessed without complications. As one would expect from a VPN, ExpressVPN does not store any user data and thus provides the security of anonymity in public networks. No matter if in Germany or anywhere in the world – ExpressVPN has servers in 94 countries, so secure surfing is possible everywhere. The ExpressVPN is available from just under 10 euros per month, and the company also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.

North VPN
Users of NordVPN can also rely on the high security of their data on the Internet. No user activities are stored in over 60 countries. With one user account you can secure up to 6 devices at the same time and avoid geoblocking. The NordVPN also offers a money back guarantee and advertises with the special offer for 2.99 Euro per month if you sign a contract for 3 years.

Cyber Ghost
With Cyberghost you get a package for secure, anonymous surfing and high speed in over 60 countries worldwide and 3000 VPN server locations. Even with Cyber Ghost, personal data is never stored and remains protected. With Cyber Ghost you get the VPN already from 10 Euro per month, annual contracts you get over 1 or 2 years for a cheaper price.

Hyde my Ass
Hyde my Ass is the largest server offering in the world with over 340 VPN server locations in 190 countries. Up to 5 devices can be protected simultaneously with the highest security standards. The VPN of Hyde my Ass can be bought monthly from 10 Euro or you decide for the contract option over 1 or 2 years and pay monthly only 6 or 4 Euro.

PrivateVPN
The VPN from PrivateVPN promises high security standards and unlimited bandwidth. Up to 6 devices can benefit from the latest VPN standards and high speed. The PrivateVPN is the cheapest in this list, already from 7 Euro you can protect your IP address for one month. With a term of 2 years it is even less than 2 Euro per month.

TOP Browser to surf safely with Android

Even when browsing the Internet, the danger of unwanted data collection lurks. The pre-installed browsers, such as Google Chrome or Android, store all search queries and data that are transmitted and received. The user’s surfing behaviour is analysed and used in such a way as to place targeted advertisements or pass on data to third parties.

In order to protect your data when browsing, it is therefore important to download a protected Internet browser. After a few clicks and a few seconds, personal data is anonymized and personal data remains personal.

These 3 browsers are particularly suitable for Android operating systems:

CM Browser:
The browser developed in China by Cheetah Mobile promises particularly high security when surfing the net. The manufacturer is actually known for its security programs and the browser also contains the company’s own antivirus engine and an ad blocker, which prevents annoying advertisements from appearing in the first place.

Firefox Focus:
This browser from Mozilla provides with numerous features for anonymous browsing in the net. The basic settings of this browser include an ad blocker and a blocker of tracking activities, such as advertising and analysis tracking. In addition, the tracking of social networks can be switched off, and with the function „Block other content tracking“ even more security can be created. Before closing the browser, the user is informed that the browser history must be deleted. Because only one tab can be opened, Firefox Focus’s performance is always reliable and fast.

Cliqz:
Cliqz offers the auto-completion known from Google, but the results come from its own search index and are not bought and free of advertising. Only if the search does not appear in the results will the query be forwarded to Google. The search line contains a function that shows how much sensitive data has been removed from Cliqz.

It also reveals companies that receive data from the site. In addition to an advertising blocker, a so-called pishing protection is used. This detects fraudulent sites and prevents them from being accessed. Cliqz advertises with TÜV-certified protection of personal data and even with several open tabs the performance and speed is not reduced.

Anonymous surfing with Android always and everywhere

More and more value is placed on the protection of personal data and anonymity on the Internet. Particularly when it comes to sensitive data such as account numbers, certain protective measures should be taken to prevent possible fraudsters from being given a chance in the first place.

In public WLAN networks there is an even greater risk, as you can never be sure who the host is and who has access to the data on the Android mobile phone. Thanks to VPNs and special Internet browsers, these security risks can be significantly reduced and your own data can also be protected on the move.

With the numerous VPNs for Android on offer, it is not easy to choose the right product for you. The following points will help you to find the right product:

  • Ensure a fast connection and the highest possible standard of encryption. If you travel a lot, you should find out in advance in how many countries the VPN is available and how many server locations the provider has.
  • To save money, it is advisable to choose a provider where you can connect many devices to one user account.
    Basically the offer of VPN providers is large and something can be found for all price classes. In addition to the encryption of the IP address, you can protect your data better by choosing a secure Internet browser for Android. You should make sure that your personal data cannot be stored and thus traced and passed on to third parties.