Your phone is worth much more than the sticker price of the handset. Because of all the sensitive info, it contains, it’s ripe for exploitation by malicious third parties, as well as by nosy members of your social circles.
There are lots of ways to protect it from mischief, so here are the main options available if you’re worried about what might befall your mobile device of choice.
More people are discovering that their device has been hacked, usually as a result of a spyware infection.
The good news is that there are security apps out there that help you identify the name of the spyware, and also step in to remove it so that it won’t track your activities any longer.
While it’s possible to unlock your iPhone if you’ve forgotten the password, we now live in an age where you don’t even need to remember a numeric code or a phrase to gain access to your handset.
Modern devices from all manufacturers tend to include fingerprint scanners, and even facial recognition capabilities, which let you keep the screen locked at all times, apart from those instances when you’re the one who wants to use your phone.
Turning on biometric scanning is a convenient and effective way to keep your device safe, especially if you’re leaving it out unattended around the house where curious youngsters might be able to nab it. That way you’ll avoid allowing any unsupervised web surfing, or unwarranted in-app purchases.
Remote hacking of a handset is one thing, but having it physically taken from you is far more traumatic and tricky to recover from.
For that reason, it’s best to keep your phone out of view when you are in public spaces. Busy locations are just as risky as isolated ones when it comes to attracting thieves, so resist the temptation to check your device or even take calls until you are in a private place where you won’t be seen.
Most mobile phone theft is opportunistic, and if a thief snatches your device while the screen is unlocked, or even if it is locked, then the ramifications could be dire.
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As mentioned, a stolen smartphone could give the thieves access to personal data, so knowing how to erase this remotely is a must for modern users.
The steps involved differ depending on the device you own, but it’s fairly straightforward so long as you’ve got access to another handset or PC which has internet access.
This is also a good reason to back up your private files on a regular basis because if you haven’t done this and you need to initiate a remote deletion, they’ll be gone for good.
There are a number of password best practices to stick to across the online services you use, and one of them is ensuring that you change passwords on a regular basis. That way if one is compromised, it won’t be usable by would-be hackers.
The same goes for using different passwords for different devices and services. Don’t put all of your eggs in one basket and harness the same password in more than one context, or you’ll be much more exposed.
It’s better to assume that you will be targeted by thieves and hackers at some point, and act accordingly, rather than hoping for the best and failing to act. Even family members might leave you in the firing line, so being cautious makes sense.
