Recently on 6th February, Google India launched a public initiative,“#SecurityCheckKiya” to create awareness around Internet safety and to protect young and first-time web users from issues like account hijacking, safeguard Android devices from malicious apps and secure all their personal data if they lose their device.
With a large base of unsuspecting first time Internet users now coming online through easy access modes but lacking technical literacy are suffering these issues. Recently, the company said in a statement that Indian users are increasingly vulnerable to bad actors and abuse on the web.
Google made this information available on its homepage www.google.co.in, encouraging users to take the first step of Security Check on Safer Internet Day which was celebrated on February 6. “Through our initiative, we want to nudge Internet users to act to safeguard themselves because the first step to a safer Internet starts with them”, said Sunita Mohanty, Director, Trust and Safety.
“Just like in the physical world, users in India should take precautions while engaging with the online world. While security is built into all of Google services, keeping the web safe for everyone is a shared responsibility,” said Sunita Mohanty.
Trust and safety department is working on asking users to get started on their journey by securing their data and devices by asking them #SecurityCheckKiya”, Mohanty added. They’ve created a three-step action to stay safe on the web for the people to follow. To protect account hijacking, all Android devices and Gmail users can review their security settings and Google account activity with one click “Google Security”. This automatically scans for any vulnerability and guides users to keep their account safe.
To protect Android devices from virus-prone apps, users can scan and check their Android device for any malicious apps on Google Play Protect. Google Play Protect rescans all apps for malware before and after you install them and is automatically enabled on your device. To secure all personal data if an Android device is lost, users can download “Find My Device” app and it will help you to easily locate a lost Android device and keeps device and information secure.