Our phones are the epicenter of our digital life. With so much information on our phones (e.g., email, bank accounts, credit cards, text messages, contacts), comes the need to protect the data stored in them. As always connected devices, smartphones are vulnerable to scams or malicious attacks. Not to mention, the risk of losing or misplacing your phone.
Smartphones are handheld devices without the protection that we are used to on our traditional computers. The data stored on your phone can be easily accessible by others. If you lose your smartphone, you also lose all your private information such as addresses, pin numbers, pictures, videos, and much more. There are other risks involved such as identity theft, misuse of your email accounts by the thief to obtain confidential information from your family or friends, and so on. It is, thus, your responsibility to act wise, and take strict measures to deal with such situations.
While it is not possible to completely eliminate the threat of data loss, here are some simple ways to help you protect your smartphone as well as data saved in it.
Basic Tips to Secure Data in your Smartphone
Password Protection: This is obvious, but you will be surprised to know how many people leave their phones unlocked. Lock your phone and other sensitive apps with a personal identification number or a password. This is the easiest way to prevent unauthorized access. In addition, do necessary adjustments so that that your device gets locked automatically after a specific period of time.
Keep your System Updated:Device manufacturers routinely release software updates that include security updates. If you have an updated version of mobile operating system, you can enjoy the greatest and latest features, and at the same time, secure your data as well. If you want to get rid of vulnerabilities and security holes, you should maintain updated software on your Smartphone.
Install a Mobile Monitoring Application: With the amount of information, your smartphone has become the prime target for thieves or hackers. A reliable mobile monitoring application safeguards your data, shields against mobile threats, and also tracks your missing or stolen phone. If you want a reliable monitoring application for your Smartphone, you can consider Spy Bubble, Mobile Spy, Mobistealth, Flexispy, or Stealth Genie.
Exercise Caution when Opening Links or Files: Be extra careful about clicking links on the web (especially shortened URLs) or downloading and opening files from the Internet. Do not open attachments in e-mails from unexpected sources. Also, it is usually a good idea to manually type a URL in a browser and not click a link (especially if it is your financial institution).
Avoid banking or shopping on a public network: One big lesson from Firesheep was that Wi-Fi network may not be completely secure, especially if it is a public Wi-Fi, e.g., Starbucks. Whenever on public network, restrict your activities to surfing and avoid transactions that involves your account information.
Install Applications only from Trusted Source: The best part of possessing a smartphone is to have an application for every activity. There are numerous applications and some of them are offered through unmonitored, independent channels (read jailbreaking or rooting) that may have been compromised. Therefore, download applications from application stores as much as you can. If you download an application through a third party, do a bit of research to be sure that the application is reliable.
Do a thorough check on every application’s access to your data: Some of the applications on your smartphone may have access to your personal information and sensitive data. You should be aware of all access that is beyond the purpose or scope of the applications. For instance, game applications don’t require access to text messages, calls, address book entries or system files. However, when you try to download a particular game, if the application demands all the access, you need to figure out the cause. If you get suspicious, and sense that there is something wrong, then do not install the same.
Use a Secure VPN: VPN or Virtual Private Network completely encrypts all the data sent through its network by the thief. Some of the details such as websites surfed, terms searched, and many more get blocked when you make use of a secure VPN. So, it prevents thieves from retrieving private information stored in your phone.
You can follow the basic steps that help you save your data on the phone. However, in the event that your phone is lost or stolen, you can also use applications that can remotely wipe your phone’s data. Apple’s Find my iPhone service allows you to track your device and remotely wipe out all the data stored on it. Google also provides similar option for Android users. Also, inform your service provider to block all the services on your phone for security reasons.
About the author: This post has been contributed by Sharon Stouffer. Sharon Stouffer is an active blogger who loves to blog on latest Mobile Technology. She is passionate about the new and innovative mobile applications and has created a site wherein she reviews and provides insight into various Cell Phone Spy software
