Nine steps for securing an Android tablet

Lockdown

Article from Issue 179/2015
Author(s):

We provide some important but often overlooked tips for securing your Android tablet.

Convenience usually wins out over security in popular computing, and tablets are no exception. You might expect an Android tablet to be an exception because it runs a variant of Linux, but following the headlines about the latest malware will soon disabuse you of such notions. The blunt truth is that most tablets ship completely unsecured, and the only mention of security in their manuals or quick guides is likely to be half a page suggesting that you install an anti-virus app.

The problem is not that securing a tablet is difficult – it's that you are left on your own, and the tools are scattered about. However, with a little effort and the application of a few elementary precautions, you should be able to achieve at least a minimally acceptable level of security on your tablet.

Specifically, here are nine concrete precautions you can take to increase your tablet's security. The screen shots are from a 10.1 Samsung Galaxy Tab 4, but most tablets should have similar if not identical options, especially because they are all dependent upon the Google Play Store.

[...]

Use Express-Checkout link below to read the full article (PDF).

Buy this article as PDF

Express-Checkout as PDF
Price $2.95
(incl. VAT)

Buy Linux Magazine

SINGLE ISSUES
 
SUBSCRIPTIONS
 
TABLET & SMARTPHONE APPS
Get it on Google Play

US / Canada

Get it on Google Play

UK / Australia

Related content

  • CyanogenMod on an Android Phone

    CyanogenMod is the most popular alternative firmware for Android, but you'll rarely find it preinstalled on smartphones. We show how you can install the CyanogenMod firmware and explore some special CyanogenMod features.

  • Tech Tools
    • CyanogenMod-7 Brings Android Mods Up to Date
    • PhpStorm 2.0 IDE Released
  • Replicant

    It is easy to replace Windows with Linux on a standard PC. Is it just as easy to replace the pre-installed Android OS on your smartphone with a free Android system like Replicant? Read on and find out!

  • FAQ – CyanogenMod's successor

    CyanogenMod is dead. Long live Lineage.

  • LineageOS

    Breathe new life into your old smartphone: The TWRP recovery image and the free Android offshoot LineageOS let you install the latest security updates every week.

comments powered by Disqus
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters

Support Our Work

Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.

Learn More

News