Smartphones have improved the quality of lives in many ways. They have enhanced communication, making it convenient and affordable to get in touch with anyone in any part of the world. Whether you needed to send an email, make a call or chat with friends in the social media, you always have the power in the palm of your hand with a smartphone. They have also complemented our entertainment options, given that we can watch movies, listen to music and even play video games online from the devices.
However, just like any other good piece of technology out there, they have a set of challenges to the users. The most notable one and for which millions have fallen victims is their security. Cases of a phone being hacked or illegally accessed are on the rise and as smart and concerned user; it is vital to know how to stay safe with your smartphone. To help you out, below are some useful tips you can employ-:
Protect the phone
The first step towards being secure with your smartphone is to keep it safe. To begin with, smartphones are not cheap and just like any other priced item you have ever bought, you must keep them safe so that no one steals them. Secondly, if you keep the phone safe at all times, no one can ever use it or access it without your knowledge. This is how you stop dead on their tracks the people who might want to steal your phone to commit all manners of atrocities, including using it for programs, which are nothing but online scams.
Set a lock code or pattern for the phone
Once your phone is safe from thieves, the next process is to ensure that people don’t just stoop to it whenever they want to. Phones are private, and no one should access the contents therein unless with your direct permission or supervision. One way of stopping such invasion of your privacy is to have a lock code or a pattern lock for the phone. Almost all smartphones have this feature, and they are fairly secure for the average thieves. Just ensure that you use a pattern you can easily remember or a code you will not forget, or else, you will also be locked out of your phone.
Use a sim card lock
With a screen lock, you have effectively barred people from accessing the contents of your phone, but you have not stopped them from removing your sim and inserting theirs. This is where sim card lock comes into play. When you set the sim card lock, they will not be able to use another sim card on that phone. This is ideal during situations when the phone is stolen, and the thief is attempting to insert a new sim so that they can use it on a new network. Without a sim card lock, they will succeed, but if you had one, the phone would be like a toy to them.
Get your apps from trusted stores
There are lots of phone scams, including those dealing with 0870 number that you can fall a victim of if you are not careful with where you get your apps. There a plethora of apps laced with lethal lines of codes designed to mine your phone for sensitive information. Such apps will be enticing to download, and most users will think they are downloading the most recent game on the internet. But the good news is that such apps never find their way into the trusted app stores, and you will only get them in the less reputable downloading sites. It implies that if you restrict getting your apps from the well-known sources, then you will not have to worry about these types of scams.
Back up your data
If you have ever lost your phone, then you will know how painful it is to lose contacts you have had for decades. Though this may not be necessarily a smartphone security concern, it is vital for every smartphone user. It is important to back up most of your vital phone data, and not just including the names and contact details. For Android and iOS smartphones, there exist cloud backup solutions for backing up contacts automatically. But there are also third-party backup solutions worth exploring just to ensure that if you lose your phone, it doesn’t go with all the important data. Some of the solutions are free while others are available for a fee and they are very reliable.
Log out of websites after you make payments
With e-commerce, a lot of transactions are happening on mobile devices. People are making purchases and signing for paid subscriptions using their smartphones due to the convenience. Though it is a good thing and it brings a lot of flexibility, it is also a fertile hunting ground for the bad guys. And they will strike faster than you can say no to 0870 and do a lot of harm to you. However, you can keep them at bay or make it more difficult for them by logging out of every website after you make payments.
Turn off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth if you are not using them
It is sad to note that most people usually leave their Bluetooth and Wi-Fi on at all times, even if they are not using them. With scams more complicated than those dealing with 0870 numbers, your Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connections can be used as doors to gain access to your phone and its contents. This is why you must always switch off these two once you are done using them. Similarly, you should avoid using Wi-Fi in public spaces. This is because most of them are never secured, and techy scammers use them all the times to hack into people’s phones. Whether it is at the library, restaurant or a public hotspot, just be careful and know that someone is hoping to hurt you through your smartphone.
