We use mobile phones for all kinds of stuff nowadays and some of them are quite sensitive. Many people pay their utility bills, others gamble with a real money gambling app or send cash to their friends on the go.
If you perform any actions that might put your money or personal information at risk, you should spend some time securing your mobile phone. This post provides five easy tips that will help you protect important data from harmful hands.
They all apply to all mainstream brands of phones such as iOS, Samsung, Sony, Windows Phone, and more.
Keep Your Operating System and Apps Updated
Every software developer puts an effort to secure the operating system or app that he created. They routinely release new versions that take care of the latest threats out there and you should take full advantage of that.
Simply make sure that your OS and key apps are up to date. If you keep using older versions, they might be missing out on fixes that are designed to handle viruses and exploits that might be dangerous to your smartphone.
Lock Your Screen
All popular devices out there such as iOS, Android, and Windows Phone provide an easy way to lock your screen. Some people find it annoying to enter a code or pattern every time, but it could save your money and personal information.
If you lose your phone or someone steals it, the lock screen feature will prevent him from accessing your apps, so the tiny extra effort is worth it. An added bonus is that there will no pocket dialing.
Use the Localization Features
Another built-in feature that is available on all mainstream smartphones is to set up a localization option. Simply put, you can connect your phone to another device like a tablet, computer, or laptop.
If you lose it or gets stolen, you can localize it, access it remotely to delete your data or even lock it completely, so one has access.
The feature on iOS is called “Find My”, while Android’s solution is under the name “Find My Device”. Both work in a similar fashion and are easy to use, so don’t hesitate to connect your device to the cloud and add that extra safety net, in case you lose possession of it.
Install Additional Anti-Virus Software
Most mobile phones come with an anti-virus app that is relatively solid. In the case of iPhones, you could probably do without adding extra protection and it should be fine.
However, Android and Windows Phone devices might benefit from an extra anti-virus application. There are plenty of free solutions out there. If you want to go the extra mile, there are programs that cost a couple of bucks per year and will make your phone much harder to crack.
Apply Common Sense to Your Basics Actions
We all know the main rules of protecting your phone and you should learn to apply them. Don’t download fishy apps, use only secure passwords and don’t share your credentials with other people, to name a few.
You should also be careful with the wi-fi networks you join and make sure to not follow unknown links from fishy emails.
The list of actions in the past two sentences covers the vast majority of the reasons that directly lead to loss of money or other problems. Make sure to avoid them and the chances are that you will be fine.
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