Memorial Weekend is quickly approaching, and I for one am especially excited about the upcoming sales (Uniqlo, here I go!). However, I have always been extra careful with my online data, especially when splurging online. Aside from using a debit card that I have designated just for online shopping and that has a limited amount of money, I always like make sure that I am splurging safely.
Security Master is a new free app that has just launched today, and I thought it would be interesting to share the information that I received as many of us like to hunt for bargains on our smartphones. With the recent worldwide hack, I think this is a good moment to think about Internet safety, to be honest!
Created by Cheetah Mobile Inc, Security Master is available worldwide for free on Android devices, which is a great change of tune for those of us who don’t use Apple products (are you hating me? I swear that Android systems are extremely popular in Europe for a reason!) Although I haven’t personally tested the app, from what I understand
it’s designed to give you an extra layer of peace of mind because it has
a gazillion useful applications for your online activities.
For instance, if you like to purchase things from your phone and don’t have a robust anti-virus installed (tut-tut!), Security Master has a “SafeConnect” feature powered by a VPN (virtual private network) technology that encrypts your data. What this means is that when you are making your purchases nobody will be able to know who you are or read your credit card number. Do you think that would never happen to you? A friend of mine purchased a tee while using the free wi-fi of her favorite cafe shop and had her phone and bank data hacked as a result.
If you don’t use your phone to compulsively purchase pretty dresses at 1 AM (of which I’m guilty, as many of my girlfriends), this app could also be useful to protect your selfies, apps, settings, or anything you want with a pattern, PIN code, or fingerprint. This is extremely useful if someone steals your phone or if you mistakenly leave it inside a changing room. Again, this is a true story that happened to another of my friends.
Plus, it apparently has an Intruder-Selfie feature which will take a pic of anybody who is entering the wrong pattern or fingerprint a number of times. This photo will automatically save to your phone and be sent to your email, and the intruder will be notified that this action has been taken. Do you fear your pesky roommate has fun poking her nose into what’s not hers? I think this is a brilliant way to confirm it!
Finally, Security Master is capable of optimizing the phone performance by cleaning unnecessary files to keep the battery cool and the internal memory running fast.
To be honest, and in the light of the many features it has, I wonder how this super app can be free. To my understanding, it will include advertising links or images to make a profit, as this type of technology is like an expensive antivirus designed for a smartphone. Also, please note that I have never used this app and that I am not endorsing its usage as I can’t speak about my personal experience; I am just sharing the information in case it is useful for those of you who don’t have a security system already installed on your smartphone.
With Memorial Day coming up, I think it’s important for us bargain hunters to make sure we are shopping safely. Although I have an anti-virus with a similar protection installed both on my phone and my computer, I understand many people would never think that a phone can be hacked in such a way. Believe me: It can. So if you don’t have the money to invest in a paid virus protection plan, I think an app like Security Master can be very useful, especially if you don’t mind seeing the occasional ad in exchange for all these features.
If you know of any other app or solution to protect your smartphone data, don’t hesitate to leave a comment! I think it is interesting to share this bit of news as I know many of my friends don’t have their phones protected against identity or bank data theft, and I’d love to know more about how you guys are protecting your online data.
Disclosure level 0: The author received NO compensation of any type to write
this post. All the links and data included are for information only and aren’t
affiliated with any marketing or referral compensation programs.
