5 of the Best Apps to Really Improve Your Phone’s Security

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When you think of apps that improve your phone’s security, antivirus software often comes to mind, but Android phones don’t really need it anymore. They have excellent built-in protection as long as you download apps from the Google Play Store and keep the operating system up to date. The same goes for iPhone users, as all third-party apps run in a sandbox (think of it as an isolated container). This makes it virtually impossible for malware-infected applications to spread malicious code themselves or for antivirus software to scan them and the system.

However, you need apps that can protect against phishing and other social engineering attacks. Fortunately, there are plenty of apps to choose from if you want to make your phone more secure. You have password managers, VPNs, network scanners, authenticator apps, and even browsers. One thing to keep in mind, though, is that even with all those apps downloaded and set up correctly, your phone’s usage habits are even more important. For example, you shouldn’t download apps from unverified sources (a major problem for Android users) or do things you shouldn’t do on public Wi-Fi. These applications complement your good habits and do not replace them.

Passwords remain one of the biggest weaknesses in the security chain, but they won’t lead anywhere. Their biggest problem is that they rely heavily on memorization and personal behavior, both of which are very susceptible to human error. This includes reusing passwords and falling victim to social engineering tactics like phishing. A password manager like Bitwarden can protect you from both.

With Bitwarden, you can sign up for a free basic plan. This includes a free password generator and the ability to sync passwords with your other devices. You can also create and store access keys, such as fingerprint, facial recognition, and security keys. These allow passwordless authentication on various websites and applications. This is the biggest advantage of using a standalone password manager instead of one built into a mobile browser like Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge.

Bitwarden stores all the data it collects in an encrypted vault. Additionally, Bitwarden also uses zero-knowledge encryption, which means that even though your data is stored on Bitwarden’s servers for synchronization between devices, it is encrypted on your device before being sent to the servers. To decrypt it, you will need your master password or password. If you experience limitations on the free plan, you can sign up for the paid plan, starting at $1.65 per month. This includes additional features such as a built-in authenticator, expanded storage, encrypted attachments, personal vault, and health reports.

A virtual private network (VPN) like ExpressVPN protects your phone by encrypting the data it sends over the Internet and then sending it through a secure tunnel to a VPN server. The server receives the encrypted data, decrypts it, and then sends it to the destination website. When the website sends the data back to the VPN server, the opposite happens.

When in the secure tunnel, it is virtually invisible to hackers and even your Internet service provider. If someone intercepts the data, it will be unreadable because only the VPN server can decrypt it. If you configure the VPN server to a different country than the one you are from, this may allow you to unlock geo-restricted content. For example, if you set up a server in the UK and connect to Netflix or Amazon Prime Video, it will show you content from that region.

ExpressVPN doesn’t offer a free plan or free trial, so you’ll have to pay for the premium plan up front. The Basic plan costs $14.99 per month and includes 113 servers worldwide, with peak speeds of up to 1,177 Mbps. It can also be used on up to 10 devices with the Basic plan and uses bank-level AES encryption to secure your data as it moves between your phone and the VPN server.

Fing is a network scanner and device blocking application. Analyzing your network can give you a good idea of ​​what devices are connected to it. Unknown devices can be something harmless, like your neighbor stealing your Wi-Fi network. Sometimes they can pose a real danger, like a hacker trying to steal your sensitive information via man-in-the-middle (MitM) attacks. With a MitM attack, a hacker can gain access to your network through a weak password (especially if you still use the default password) and unpatched exploits from an outdated router. Once entered, they can listen to communications between you and the websites you visit. Fing can help you find them so you can kick them off the network.

You can use Fing for free, but for advanced features like unlimited scans per day, continuous monitoring, alerts, and advanced network health checks, you’ll need a paid plan starting at $7.99. Network health checks are especially important to ensure the security of your entire network. For example, Fing can perform a vulnerability check. In addition to identifying unconfirmed devices, it can detect whether your router uses Universal Plug and Play or UPnP (disabling UPnP can make your router more secure). It also searches for hidden cameras.

Even though Chrome is the most popular browser in the world, not everyone is a fan of it. However, it does one thing well: it keeps your phone’s web browsing experience as secure as possible. Today, a browser is an essential tool that gives us access to the World Wide Web, and choosing the right one can improve your security while browsing. And Chrome shines with its secure browsing features that protect you from phishing.

The Safe Browsing feature we’re interested in is called Enhanced Protection. When enabled, it protects users in real time from dangerous sites, downloads and extensions. However, it uses AI, which makes it very efficient but also sends your browsing data to Google.

There’s also a security check, where Chrome ensures that you’ve set it up to be as secure as possible. You receive alerts about pending updates, reused and compromised passwords, and dangerous settings. If sites have been left unused for too long, their permissions will be reset. Additionally, Chrome has a comprehensive password manager. You can use it to generate and manage passwords without leaving your browser.

Don’t believe the myth that two-factor authentication (2FA) is useless with a strong password. It’s much harder to get you to give up a 2FA code. For example, if you receive a notification from a website asking for a 2FA code while you are not logged in, this may alert you that your password is compromised. This can put you on alert and give you time to change your passwords.

Google Authenticator is one of the best authentication apps on the market. Once added to websites’ 2FA methods, it will generate new codes every 30 seconds. It also syncs with your Google account so you can use it across devices. To prevent unwanted access, you can secure the app with your phone’s biometric authentication, like fingerprint scanning on Android or Face ID on iPhone.

The common way to obtain 2FA codes is via SMS. But SIM swapping allows fraudsters to trick your mobile carrier into porting your phone number to a SIM card they control. This puts the code directly in their hands. But if you use Google Authenticator, where codes are generated locally, SIM swapping or even methods that intercept the code when it’s sent to you won’t work.