20 tips for 2020: Be smarter with your smartphone - We Live Security

Posted: 31 Dec 2019 02:52 AM PST

In the second blogpost of this two-part series we'll suggest handy tips to help enhance the security of your mobile devices

Yesterday, we discussed bad cybersecurity habits you should avoid in 2020, especially where computers are involved. We're not done yet. Some of the recommendations apply to both computers and smartphones, such as being especially wary when connecting to a public Wi-Fi network. Our upcoming cybersecurity tips are more smartphone-centric.

Authentication

You'd think that locking your phone would be a no-brainer, but contrary to popular belief, not all people secure their smartphones with an authentication measure. According to a report by the Pew Research Center, almost a third of Americans don't use any kind of screen lock. You should always securely lock your device, period. And by locking your device, we don't mean half-hearted measures like an L pattern or a 1234 PIN. Optimally, use a combination of a biometric feature if possible (fingerprint or face recognition) and a password.

Using the official store

As enticing as the prospect of rooting or jailbreaking your device might sound, most manufacturers advise against it. Not without good reason: it opens your device to unnecessary risks. It also sometimes adds an unofficial app store, which isn't as strictly monitored as official stores. Apps aren't curated on such alternative stores, nor do they go through an approval process, which means you could download an overtly malicious app that may wreak havoc on your device. You have probably surmised that it's best to stick to official stores to minimize the risks.

Granting apps permissions

Apps request a variety of permissions so they can work appropriately. You usually just scroll over them absentmindedly and tap accept. As convenient as that might be, you should always peruse the permission list requested by an application. If you accept them all you may be granting bad actors access to sensitive data or allowing them to scam you out of money, or even to spy on you. After all, does a flashlight app really need access to your microphone or camera?

Using security software

Most people underestimate the value of using security software to protect their smartphones, which is surprising, to say the least. The reasoning behind it may be that they still consider it to be a phone more than a pocket personal computer. Regardless of the reason, we have seen time and again that smartphones are susceptible to breaches and attacks the same way computers are. Therefore, reputable security software can spare you from a headache in the future.

Remote wiping

Expanding on the previous tip, the better security software providers offer the nuclear option of remotely wiping your device if it is lost or stolen. As radical as the idea may sound, it is a good option to have if you store sensitive data you don't want anyone to see. Alternatively, you may be able to set up your device to wipe itself if authentication fails a certain number of times.

Encryption, backup, and patching

One rule all of us should always follow is to back up our data. In the event you become a victim of a malicious attack that may corrupt or lock your files, at least you'll have a backup you can use for recovery. Encryption is also a critical step you should not underestimate. Encrypting the files on your smartphone will give the bad actors a run for their money, making it harder for them to realize their malicious intent. To lower the chance of any of the mentioned things happening, you should always install the latest official updates on your device since they often contain security patches that help keep you protected.

Safe disposal of the device

You might want to pass along your device or even sell it, but that entails several steps you have to go through so that you dispose of it safely. Depending on the device, that might include anything from encrypting the drive before wiping it to logging out of all the services you use. Whatever the case, don't underestimate the critical importance of conducting the process thoroughly so that your privacy remains intact.

Dodgy calls and phishing texts

Phishing scams take all kinds of forms and although email is the most popular conduit, by far it is not the only one. Scammers have been known to send out text messages that contain infected links that can contain all types of malware. Recently, bad actors have been engaging in more sinister attempts. You may receive calls from international numbers from countries you have never had any interaction with. By calling the number back you can be charged exorbitant prices, so if that ever happens think long and hard before calling back.

It can't happen to me

Hopefully, you'll never have to deal with the fallout of a security breach or of your accounts being hacked. But admitting that the possibility is always there can help you in the long run. Being prepared is by no means a bad thing. From securing your device, to having backups at the ready, or having the option to remotely wipe your device, you can reduce the damage to a minimum. If nothing happens great; if something does, you're ready to face it head-on.

That sums up our list of 20 cybersecurity tips for 2020. We hope that these tips will help you in having a better, safer year with less to worry about and more to look forward to.

Amer Owaida 31 Dec 2019 - 11:30AM

Google's RCS texting is like iMessage for all Android phones. Learn to use it - Invest Records

Posted: 14 Dec 2019 12:00 AM PST

Your texting game is about to get a big upgrade in Google's Messages app.

Jason Cipriani/CNET

Android phones have had a texting problem. Their old SMS features couldn't compare to Apple's modern iPhone text message app, iMessage. But now, phones that run Google's mobile software stand a chance. RCS Messaging, a new text-messaging protocol, is now available on all Android phones in the US, tweeted Sanaz Ahari Lemelson, a Google senior director of product management.

If you don't use Google's Messages app for text messaging on your phone (not to be confused with Samsung's Messages app), you'll want to start.

RCS Messaging adds features similar to Apple's iMessage to your Android phone, complete with the ability to send full-resolution photos and little bubbles that let you know when someone is typing. Google is taking its time with the rollout, but it plans to give everyone access to the feature by the end of the year.

Google has tried its hand at many different messaging services, lagging behind Facebook Messenger and Apple's iMessage to gain any real traction. With RCS Messaging so tightly intertwined with text messaging, Google may have finally found itself a winner. RCS Messaging doesn't really roll off the tongue, so within the Messages app, Google refers to the service as Chat.

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Let's take a closer look at what you'll need to do to turn on the new feature, as well as some of the more nuanced aspects of RCS Messaging.

Get started with Google's Chat feature

First, you'll need an Android phone with Google's Messages app installed and set as the default text messaging app. The first time you launch Messages, it will ask if you want to set it as your default app. Just follow the prompts and don't worry, you won't lose your conversation history by switching.

It may be some time before you get access to RCS Messaging (Google seems content to roll it out 1% of the population at a time), but in the meantime, you'll be able to take advantage of Messages for Web, which allows you to send and receive text messages from your computer. So it's still worth making the switch.

RCS messages will work in the US, UK, France or Mexico — for now, though again, the rollout will take time. Google is currently adding more US users and expects to have RCS enabled for all Messages users' in the US by the end of the year.

The prompt you'll get asks if you want to see when your friends are typing, but it does so much more than that.

Jason Cipriani/CNET

Turn Google's Chat features on

After installing Google's Messages app and setting it as your default texting app, there are two different ways to enable Chat. You can either wait for a prompt in the Messages app asking if you want to see when your friends are typing, or you can go into the Settings section of Messages and look for the switch to turn Chat on.

When you get the prompt, tap Upgrade Now then follow the prompts and enter your phone number if prompted. You can also open Messages and tap on the three-dot menu button (top-right corner of the app) and select Settings > Chat Features. If Chat Features isn't in the settings section, then your account doesn't have access to RCS quite yet.

This same settings page is also where you can go to turn your read receipts on or off, as well as disable the typing indicator whenever you're typing and control what happens if Chat fails to send a message.

Make sure you customize Chat's settings.

Screenshots by Jason Cipriani/CNET

If you run into issues with sending messages, you can also view the current status of your phone's connection to the Chat service in the settings app. As long as it says Connected, your phone number is registered with Chat and should use the service whenever you're talking to a contact who also has Chat enabled.

That's an important aspect of Chat. Whoever you're talking to will also need to have the feature enabled on their device to use the new chat features, though of course all usual texting features still apply.

You'll be able to take advantage sooner by getting your friends to use Google Messages. You can guide them through the setup process (or send them a link to this post).

If you're impatient and want to try Chat right now, you can try a workaround that some Reddit users discovered. It's a bit technical, but it should get you up and going.

The Messages app mostly looks the same.

Screenshot by Jason Cipriani/CNET

Use the new Chat features in a conversation

After you turn on chat features, the Messages app will continue to work and look the same, and you should keep using it the same way you always have. The app knows when you're talking to someone through text or another contact with chat turned on.

The easiest way to tell if a conversation is using old-fashioned text messaging or the new chat features is to look at the text box before you start typing. If the box says "Chat message" then the conversation will have typing indicators, read receipts, and the rest of the features that RCS Messaging offers.

It's pretty easy to see when you're going to send a text, or use the new Chat features.

Screenshots by Jason Cipriani/CNET

When chat features are in use, you'll see delivered and read receipts underneath each message you've sent, and you can send full-resolution photos and share files with fellow chat users. You don't have to do anything special to send a high-resolution image, just tap on the photo icon in the app and pick photo or video. You'll see a loading circle on the image as it's uploaded and sent, but otherwise the process looks and works the same as sending a text message.

Because Chat works over mobile data or Wi-Fi, you can put your phone in airplane mode and you'll still be able to send and receive messages with other Chat users.

Switching phones? Make sure you turn Chat off

Yes, and in fact, you should do so before you remove the SIM card from your phone. If you forget to turn off chat features before moving your SIM card to a new phone, chat features could continue to work for up to eight days. Meaning, you may not get messages sent to your number by someone using chat.

RCS Messaging isn't encrypted like Apple's iMessage.

Jason Cipriani/CNET

Note: Your messages aren't encrypted

Google doesn't currently encrypt your conversations with fellow chat users. The conversations are sent securely from your phone to Google's server and then to the recipient's phone, after which the messages are deleted from Google's server, but those messages aren't end-to-end encrypted.

You can use apps like WhatsApp and Signal, or Apple's iMessage if you prefer end-to-end encryption.

If you have more questions about RCS Messaging, we have answers. We also have a roundup of the best messaging apps for Android users, or if you've been thinking about jumping ship to the iPhone ($699 at Apple), you might be surprised at how easy it is.

Originally published last month and updated with new information.

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