.png){kind=logo}
- Insights
- Cryptocurrencies
- Stocks
- White Papers
- Industry
- Geography
- Insights
- Cryptocurrencies
- Stocks
- White Papers
- Industry
- Geography
Today, phones are personal assistants. People use them to play, work, entertain themselves, and everything in between. These devices carry so much personal information, including your personality, work, relationships, and bank accounts. Hackers can have data on most aspects of your life if such information ever leaks.
Hackers may access your device through various methods, including stealing the gadget, phishing, or installing malicious software. You can protect yourself from these vulnerabilities using various tools and best practices. Here are some of them.
The official app stores for iOS and Android devices are the App Store and Google Play. These app stores have implemented various safeguards to prevent malicious programs from listing on their databases. Therefore, all these dangerous applications don't appear on these platforms' official stores. Download apps from these platforms if possible.
Some apps are not on the official app stores due to restrictions. Check these out on the official websites of the companies offering them. Avoid downloading apps from third-party hosting sites and forums. Malicious apps may collect your data, steal credit card information, and send the data to unauthorized third parties. You can avoid these risks by downloading from the two locations above.
Smartphones come with several inbuilt security features, many of which can work together to great effect. Consider having more than a single layer of security. Start by setting a basic security feature, such as a pattern or PIN number. When setting up your pin or password, avoid using your birthday, ID number, or real name. Hackers may have these details and try them to gain access to your device.
Additionally, avoid using the default codes such as 1234, 1111, and 0000. Phone manufacturers use these codes to ease new players into their devices. Unfortunately, many use them long after buying their gadgets, exposing them to security issues. A second layer of security can be a biometric system, such as face and iris recognition, fingerprint capture, and voice scanning. When combined with other security measures, it will be hard for hackers to access your device even if they know your PIN.
Hackers will search your credit card and banking data when accessing your device. Protecting this data from access is paramount by whatever means possible.
If you can, store your bank and credit card PINs elsewhere. If it is not possible, look for a secure app or password manager where you can keep the information. This step ensures the data is out of reach even if someone accesses your phone.
Sometimes, the information you divulge online gives hackers a field day. Most unsuspecting victims just give their data to criminals without knowing it. A criminal may ask for information through a few crafty tricks. For example, a retail cashier can ask for your location and other details to feed to their systems, or you may join a group where administrators want to know more about you. Some cybercriminals send phishing emails or unsolicited communications.
As a rule of thumb, do not give personal information if you do not believe the service needs the details. When filling out personal data on online forms or surveys, avoid giving more information in the optional spaces since the service provider can do without it. For instance, Pawns.app has an app with surveys for teens that only asks for the necessary information, protecting the privacy of teen participants in the process.
Likewise, remember to ignore unsolicited emails that threaten you with account closures or have a sense of urgency in their requests for personal information. You may also want to disable the autofill feature and instead fill out the required information on the websites you join.
Many businesses offer free Wi-Fi to their customers. You will find it in entertainment joints, airports, eateries, and retail stores. Unfortunately, such Wi-Fi services do not have security features to make it easy for anyone to access them. Anyone who wishes to tap into the information can see that data moving in the network.
Consider using a VPN when accessing the internet on a public hotspot. A VPN masks your connection and encrypts your data, making it hard for hackers to tap into it and determine its location. You can use your cards and log in securely on public Wi-Fi with a VPN.
Your phone carries so much personal data that keeping it secure is of utmost priority. Use its inbuilt security features as the first line of defense. Then, limit the number of people who can access the device or your data.
You should also consider removing sensitive information you don't use daily and storing it elsewhere. It only takes a single data breach to access all your personal data and wipe out your lifetime earnings. The best practices outlined above can help keep the phone's data secure.
