We love our smartphones – in fact, they are often our greatest confidants when it comes to sharing important personal information. In the palm of our hands we have photo albums, banking apps, wallets, medical records, personal messages and contacts, social media and more, all easily accessible through our iPhones and Androids.
But the convenience costs money. Hackers can exploit network vulnerabilities to steal passwords undetected or use malicious media files disguised in photos or videos to access messages on unprotected phones. Thieves often find their way to access data through one of a phone's apps or website.
It is therefore a must to secure the phone properly. In addition to increasing our security, it is important to realize that our location can be obtained even without an active GPS and without asking permission.
And, data theft isn't the only risk. Our phones now act as our ID when we need to identify ourselves for other accounts. This happens when you receive a code by text message to verify your identity for an account. This is called two-factor authentication.
In a recent scam, fraudsters attempted a "SIM card swap," in which a service provider was convinced to switch a person's phone number to a SIM card he owned, then log into his bank account and re-enter his passwords. pose.
The best way to avoid scams is to be informed. There are several steps you can take to significantly reduce your chances of being hacked.
Here tips to protect your smartphone now
Lock your (virtual) doors – Use very strong passwords, and change them often. Ideally, passwords should be at least 12 characters long, contain numbers and symbols, and do not contain obvious words from the dictionary. If you are in a public place and enter your PIN, cover your phone with your hand.
It's time to log out – Log out of social media platforms when not using them.
Not just for desktops – Install Adblocker apps on your phone and don't disable them even when prompted. Malicious codes often end up on our phones through web advertisements. Also install antivirus apps. Be careful not to open suspicious spam and fishing emails.
Stop procrastinating – Always update your operating system and your apps as soon as they are available.
Say goodbye to public WiFi – Absolutely avoid public Wi-Fi. Instead, invest in a good data plan and use your phone as a router when you have no other safe choices. If this isn't an option, limit your time on public Wi-Fi.
Find another place to store your valuables – Do not keep anything valuable on the phone and regularly backup all the files you care about.
No jailbreaks – Don't jailbreak your phone. Jailbreaking means freeing your iPhone from the restrictions imposed by Apple. Some users do this to be able to customize their device more freely, but it can allow hackers to hijack any information connected to the phone. If a company imposes a restriction, they do so in part to increase your security.
