We are all now more reliant on our phones than ever, these little computers in our pockets hold so much for us in terms of our lives from vital banking to pictures and videos of loved ones. We are also now, sadly, more aware of the threats to our security that smartphones also provide and more and more people are looking for ways to keep their data more secure. This is especially true given the increase in cybercrime and the prominent hackings of companies like Facebook that we’ve seen spread throughout the news. So here are 7 ways for you to make your smartphone more secure.
Keep Personal Information Private
It may sound common sense but don’t share anything you wouldn’t want anyone else seeing on social media and avoid giving away too much information to third parties. More and more scammers are using smarter ways to try and get your account details or personal information. If you get an unsolicited email or text be very wary of opening it or interacting with it. Don’t click on any links that may be imbedded in the message and don’t give out any information. Even if it looks legitimate, if you are unsure give the bank a call before you do anything.
Don’t Download Shady Apps
Google Play and the Apple Store will take time to review apps that go on their platforms to ensure they are usable and don’t contain malware. This isn’t 100% successful, but it is definitely the place to go if you want to download an application on your smartphone. You never know what malware or spyware third party downloads may put on your device.
Technical writer James Welsh, Boomessays and State of writing, reminds us, “Thoroughly check the customer reviews and ratings in the proper store and report if you think an app is using your information illegally.”
Keep Data Backed Up
In the case of an emergency wipe, keep all your data backed up. There’s nothing worse than having to reset your phone and losing hundreds of memories or access to vital information. Backup your device regularly and keep a copy on an external cloud to keep contacts, pictures, music and documents safe and able to be restored in case of a wipe.
Keep Everything Up to Date
Make sure that all the software on your phone is up to date to ensure its compliant with any new laws and regulations that might have been passed as well as secure against any cyber-attacks. Set up for updating to happen automatically, maybe during when you’re asleep, so you won’t accidentally forget to keep everything up to date.
“If an app can no longer be updated or isn’t compliant with your system software anymore, get rid of it. You can check this on the app page in the store,” warns business writer Patricia Wade, Paper Fellows and OX Essays.
Remote Tracking
Remote tracking is there for the horrifying case where your phone is lost or stolen. Find My Device from Google and Find My iPhone from Apple are built into your smartphone and allow you to see where your phone is. You can sound an alarm from the phone to help you find it if you’ve simply lost it in the house, it’s not been the first time a smartphone has been found down the side of a couch where it’s fallen. In the worst case, you can lock the screen and wipe the device to ensure no one gets access to your personal information.
Connect Only to Trusted Secure Networks
The allure of free Wi-Fi is tempting, but so many of these networks are easily compromised and if you are connected to a large amount of them it can be hard to trace back where a cyber-attack occurred. Keep a small list of trusted secure networks to use, and if you do use free Wi-Fi don’t do anything like banking or other personal matters while connected.
Use the Built-In Security Features
Like remote tracking and wiping, smartphones come with built in security features to make your life easier. Set lock screens on your phone and passwords to hide your data. Apple even has a password manager built into iOS that warns you of any potential data leaks and where your passwords may be compromised. These features are life-savers and you absolutely should be using them to the fullest potential.
In the end, things can seem scary in terms of smartphone security. But given it is in their best interest, many phone manufacturers want to make the process as easy as possible. Keep your data backed up, update all software and look to see what your operating system comes built in with and you should find that no matter what happens you have something to fall back on.
