Connecting safely

Lock codes prevent others accessing a phone or tablet, and the contacts, emails and other account information within.

A lock code is like a combination for a safe.

It has to be entered before a device will open.

It can be a series of numbers or a mix of numbers and letters.

For later model Android devices, a finger print or pattern can be used.

Because a phone or tablet contains your personal information, passcodes should be hard for other people to guess.

The example we showed should be similar on most Android devices.

To set your lock code open settings.

Go to lock screen and security.

Select screen lock type.

Create a lock code that is at least six digits long.

Eight digits is ideal as it is harder to guess.

Remember, don't use birth dates, names or addresses.

For extra security, [use] touch fingerprint.

Select add finger print and follow the directions.

Many later model Android phones and tablets offer iris eye scanners and facial recognition for security.

The iris scanning technology is good at only allowing people with matching iris
features into the device.

To set up iris scanning on the Samsung S eight open settings.

Lock screen and security.

Tap iris scanner and enter the lock code password or pattern if asked.

If an iris is not yet registered the phone will walk the user through the process.

To change the iris scan the user must first unlock the phone before being allowed to register a new iris scan.

Some android devices offer facial recognition security.

It is important to know that the facial recognition security offered on some Android phones is not yet secure.

People have been able to access Android devices using faces with similar features.

Anyone at risk of technology-facilitated abuse should not use facial recognition to secure their Android device at this stage.

Two-factor authentication is an increasingly common way to protect the online security of personal information.

When you log into an online account with your username and password you're using single-factor authentication.

With two-factor authentication, you need something extra to access your accounts, like an SMS code sent to your mobile phone, or something physical like a fingerprint.

If you need verification code sent to your mobile phone to authorise activity on your bank accounts, then you're already using two-factor authentication.

This extra layer of security afforded by two-factor authentication makes hacking of any of your accounts much harder.

Apple, Google, Twitter, Facebook, Microsoft, and Amazon all offer two-factor authentication, and encourage users to adopt it.

Many banks insist on it.

While using two-factor authentication makes things more secure, it's not a 100% guarantee of security.

So it's important to adopt and maintain good online security habits.

These include, setting strong passwords, not sharing your passwords with others, and not leaving your phone unattended.

You might want to also watch our separate videos on how to setup two-factor authentication on Google and Twitter.