A typical smartphone contains more than just contact names, text messages, and call logs. It’s home to tons of personal information, such as credit card numbers, addresses, passwords, emails, photos, videos, and more.
These days, nobody opens their PC to buy anything online. They choose convenience by using their smartphones to shop. This includes me, as well. Just a month ago, I used my phone to Google Spectrum Internet plans, copied their toll-free number, and signed up for their service in 40 minutes. Since this device has so much information, it deserves extra security measures. Wondering what they are? Most of them are common, and yet we ignore them. Let’s find out how to keep your phone secure:
1: Password Protect the Screen
Can you imagine that more than 30 percent of people don’t password-protect their devices? The most imperative way to protect your precious phone is by creating a screen password.
The standard methods of protecting your mobile include:
- Pattern Lock: Create a personalized pattern (which you can remember) to lock the device
- PIN Code: This could be any 4 to 6 digit code that keeps your device locked
- Fingerprint: Scan your fingerprint to unlock your device
- Face ID: Use facial recognition to unlock your phone
2: Don’t Charge Your Phone in Public Ports
If you are guilty of charging your phone in public charging stations (airports, planes, shopping centers, etc.), you could end up compromising your data and Toll Free Numbers. Apart from charging the phone, these ports also transmit data. If an outlet is compromised, a hacker can access anything they like from your phone. This hacking technique is called juice jacking, and it’s a trending cybercrime.
3: Turn Off the Bluetooth and Wi-Fi
Bluetooth hacking is a common form of invasion. The hacker could mask a malicious device by making it look legitimate, entice you to pair it with your phone. When pairing devices, always double-check what you are connecting to. Once the hacker succeeds at getting access to your phone, security breaches are bound to happen. Therefore, keep your Bluetooth turned off when not in use. The same goes for Wi-Fi. And never use public Wi-Fi just because it’s free. A hacker can steal precious data by invading your phone via a harmful open network.
4: Install an Anti-Virus App
Another way to beef up your mobile phone’s security is to install an anti-virus app. Don’t worry, these apps don’t interfere with the performance or speed of your phone. Some of them include features that boost the performance of your phone! 360 Security and Avira are two popular anti-virus apps used to improve the security of your phone.5: Store Passwords in Encrypted Files
First of all, never store passwords in your phone, but if you must, use a password-protected app for that. LastPass is a great one. It keeps all your important passwords safe and encrypted.
6: Monitoring App Permissions
Never ignore the “permission grants” for an app at the time of installation. Some apps have been secreting gathering PI and selling them to other countries. If an app wants to access your gallery, microphone, or other folders from your device and none of that is relevant to that app’s core functions, don’t download it.
7: Use a SIM Card Lock
Locking up the screen is not enough. What if your phone gets stolen and the thief removes the sim card from the phone and uses it on another? This could be a serious threat to personal data, right? To prevent this, set up a SIM card lock. It’s a PIN code that one must enter whenever the SIM card is swapped into another phone.
8: Create Data Backup
Just as protecting your mobile phone from unauthorized access is important, it’s also imperative to protect the data inside it. A virus or malware has the power to corrupt all data. Every piece of data stored on your phone must be precious. Therefore, take regular backups so that if you lose anything, it could be restored.
Conclusion
One thing is clear, keeping your phone secure is your responsibility. Ignorance can cost you not just in terms of money but precious data. Stay safe by boosting your mobile security.
