How secure is that tablet you just bought?

Did you or anyone in your family get a tablet computer over the holidays? Was it an inexpensive one, perhaps purchased on Black Friday?

If so, beware. You need to check your device for security vulnerabilities. A number of these tablets were sent out with problems that can cause you big headaches ... especially if you've given it to a child who intends to sign up at sites online.

Bluebox (bluebox.com), whose business it is to secure mobile data, issued a report on 14 Android tablets being promoted over the big sales weekend. Eleven cost less than $50. Of the 14, only two were deemed "secure," while the rest had varying levels and combinations of pre-installed vulnerability, security misconfigurations and even a backdoor. One was so bad that the company's scanning program had never come across an arrangement quite like that.

To see the names and models of the tablets, go to the Bluebox site and look for "Santa or the Grinch: Android Tablet Analysis for the 2014 Holiday Season." The bugs found were FakeID, Futex, Masterkey and Heartbleed.

Among Bluebox's suggested steps to secure your mobile device for iOS: get the latest software and check for updates; enable the security features, such as passcode, SIM card, restrictions and auto-lock; prompt to join Wi-Fi networks; and turn off Wi-Fi (and your hotspot) when you're not using it. For the full list of suggestions, go to bluebox.com/ios-user-security-guide

For Android 4x or 5x, Bluebox has security steps for versions 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) up to 5 (Lollipop). While the iOS guide has 15 steps, there are 21 steps to securing an Android device.

Tablets aren't the only devices at risk right now. Days after the Bluebox report on tablets, another security company, Palo Alto Networks (www.paloaltonetworks.com), found a serious problem on 24 models of mobile phones, including a vulnerability that had been modified "to make it much more difficult for antivirus programs to detect the backdoor."

And that very same day, Akamai Technologies, Inc. (www.akamai.com) disclosed a new cybersecurity threat that targets iOS and Android devices, and can include tricking users into downloading malicious apps, which can lead to denial of service attacks and much, much more.

Nervous yet? Take steps to safeguard your devices. Keep your software up to date, stay away from free Wi-Fi, turn off automatic steps, be careful what apps you download ... and keep an eye on children using these devices.

David Uffington regrets that he cannot personally answer reader questions, but will incorporate them into his column whenever possible. Send email to [email protected]. (c) 2015 King Features Synd., Inc.