These days, smartphones are a one-stop payment, personal health, work, gaming, productivity, texting, tweeting, Facebook-checking machine. We use them to do just about everything, from mobile banking to navigating new places, to emailing out last minute notes on a project.
But whether it’s hacked browsers, petty thieves at the coffee shop, or your own tendency to lose electronics in cabs (hey, it happens to the best of us), using your smartphone as a centralized source for all of your information comes with big risks, and the more you’ve connected and stored, the more you stand to lose. In fact, in the last year alone, at least 7.1 million phones were lost or stolen
That’s bad news, not only for individuals but for countless businesses as well, particularly if they have BYOD policies, because each individual phone and carrier really varies in their level of security.
It’s no wonder, then, that so many individuals and businesses are starting to take mobile security seriously. Let’s take a look at few steps you can take to keep your phone—and its wealth of personal data—secure.
When you set up your passcode, use the same security measures you would on any other device, such as not using your birthday or social security number for your passcode, and definitely not "1234." Never share your passcode with anyone, even if they ask nicely or give you sad, puppy eyes. Don’t reuse passwords from other sites or devices.
While this is a subject of debate, most experts think it’s best to go with a pin rather than the swipe patterns, as the chances of guessing a pin are much lower than guessing a pattern. But hey, if it gets you locking your phone, either choice is fine.
Be particularly cautious with financial apps, the best of which shouldn’t require you to repeatedly enter account information in order to access your account.
There are some concerns about corporations using location tracking software like this to infringe upon personal privacy rights. Look up the company’s policy, and make sure it’s something you’re comfortable with, before getting it all set up.
But whether it’s hacked browsers, petty thieves at the coffee shop, or your own tendency to lose electronics in cabs (hey, it happens to the best of us), using your smartphone as a centralized source for all of your information comes with big risks, and the more you’ve connected and stored, the more you stand to lose. In fact, in the last year alone, at least 7.1 million phones were lost or stolen
That’s bad news, not only for individuals but for countless businesses as well, particularly if they have BYOD policies, because each individual phone and carrier really varies in their level of security.
It’s no wonder, then, that so many individuals and businesses are starting to take mobile security seriously. Let’s take a look at few steps you can take to keep your phone—and its wealth of personal data—secure.
1. Use a Passcode
This may sound obvious, but according to a Consumer Reports survey, 64% of us don’t use our passcodes. (For the record, using the factory set passcode totally doesn’t count.) Quite frankly, not using a passcode is a horrible idea. You're essentially handing over all of your personal information to anyone who swipes your phone.When you set up your passcode, use the same security measures you would on any other device, such as not using your birthday or social security number for your passcode, and definitely not "1234." Never share your passcode with anyone, even if they ask nicely or give you sad, puppy eyes. Don’t reuse passwords from other sites or devices.
While this is a subject of debate, most experts think it’s best to go with a pin rather than the swipe patterns, as the chances of guessing a pin are much lower than guessing a pattern. But hey, if it gets you locking your phone, either choice is fine.
2. Be Selective With Your Apps
That new app might look great, but with so many unknown third party providers out there, it can be difficult to know how private and secure it may be. For that reason, it’s best to go through a trusted app store like iTunes, Android Market or Amazon, and to thoroughly check reviews before downloading any app and entering your personal information.Be particularly cautious with financial apps, the best of which shouldn’t require you to repeatedly enter account information in order to access your account.
3. Don’t Click on Suspicious Links
Maybe it’s those tiny, almost indecipherable screens, maybe it’s a false sense of security, but for some reason, people are three times more likely to click on suspicious links on their cell phone than on a PC. Our best advice for that? Don’t do it. Look more carefully at the URL, especially if they’re asking you to enter personal information. Most banks have a page explaining what they will and will not ask for. Do your research before divulging your personal details.4. Enable Remote Wiping
Should your phone ever be lost or stolen, it would be great to erase your important data from afar. You can do this through remote wiping, and it's relatively easy to do on most devices. An iPhone, for example, simply requires you to do enable "Find My Phone" on the device and to sign up for an iCloud account, which will be your command central when it’s time to wipe.There are some concerns about corporations using location tracking software like this to infringe upon personal privacy rights. Look up the company’s policy, and make sure it’s something you’re comfortable with, before getting it all set up.