@ Charyb,
Sorry for the late response, but I have been without electricity or phone for several days due to weather.
1. From what you have read and from what everyone has posted, what is the safest operating system for smart phones?
2. I am using Android, what app would make this it safer from malware, hacking, etc.?
1. There is no safest OP at this point however from my testing, the Blackberry seems to offer the best configuration. I've also noticed that the newer phones make it easier to find how to disable and make changes in the phone (see below). Keep in mind that it is the user that is the one that often makes the mistakes of downloading apps. without having full knowledge of what they are downloading, not having their phone secured, geolocator disabled, etc. not having a reputable AV and firewall or VPN on their phone that exposes them to everything being open to the public.
2. I suggest that you configure your browser(s) on your phone so that your are safer like you would with your PC. Manually clear all cache and history, and do not save any passwords after using your phone/browser (every time). As mentioned above, use a reputable AV and FW and/or VPN. Do not store anything of personal nature on your phone especially financial-related. I do not store my Contacts on my phone, but instead on my SC card. Unless you purchase a lot of apps. from the Marketplace, do not store your credit card information (or personal information) with Google; you can always re-enter it when you need it. Many companies are moving to mobile financial technology for convenience, but I wouldn't use it. I've contacted these companies and spoken to the IT people on how they conduct their business with their AV updates on their end and was mortified, so I would never trust them with mobile technology until they improve with the PC end. There is now technology for swiping your credit card with your mobile phone, but again until security technology catches up, I would not recommend it. A good app. that does not pose a risk is something like bar scanner reader, of which there are 2 - 3 available in the Android Marketplace (they even work with your geolocator disabled).
Mobile technology is still developing yet the demand is booming. Many people are not aware of the dangers and risks involved. ID Theft is thriving, and living through it is a nightmare! As we know here from this forum, learning more about the threats and prevention is our best option, then it is up to each individual to take the action that they deem appropriate for them.
I hope this helps. Please let me know if you have any additional questions.
