The biggest concern for most smartphone users is security. Our phones easily make us a target for cyber-attacks. Security threats are constantly evolving and there is only so much you can do to protect your data. Here are 8 important tips you can follow to protect your phone from security risks!

Keep Phone Locked

A major threat many of us fear is someone stealing our phones, which could give them instant access to our personal data. To make sure this doesn’t happen, set a lock on your phone. Set a pattern, passcode, face recognition, or fingerprint depending on your phone’s features, to prevent anyone else from accessing your phone and its contents.

Make sure you pick the shortest amount of time possible to lock your phone automatically when it’s idle – it will protect you and save your battery as well.

Set Strong Passwords

Strong and unique passwords make it difficult for any outsider to guess it and access your phone. If you can, set a different password for each app on your phone, especially those that include private and confidential data, like banking apps. Set strong passwords and activate two-factor authentication where possible.

Connect to Private Wi-Fi

While it’s tempting to connect to public Wi-Fi wherever we go to stay connected, it’s important to be aware of unsecured networks. Make sure you connect to a public network after switching on your VPN. Doing so will encrypt your traffic and make it difficult for hackers to trace your device on public networks. VPN protects your location and keeps your data safe. Make sure you only connect to public Wi-Fi hotspots from trusted providers. Spectrum deals give you free access to safe and secure hotspots nationwide!

Beware of Downloads

Make sure you only download files and apps from trusted sources. Avoid downloading anything from app stores or websites that appear shady. It could be a scam. Always check reviews on official app stores before downloading any apps to your phone. Cybercriminals are getting smarter by the day and mimic trusted brands to fetch users’ private data and information. Protect yourself from falling into this trap by reading reviews, and checking the last updates and contact info of the company on app stores.

Update the Phone’s Operating System

Your phone’s operating system updates are designed to improve the quality of your experience. From security to performance, operating system updates improve target areas instantly. It’s important to update the phone’s OS regularly, even if they happen frequently. These updates protect your phone from new threats. Android or iOS, make sure to double-check for updates by heading to your phone’s settings and clicking ‘system updates’ or ‘software updates’

Never Jailbreak Your Phone

Rooting or jailbreaking is a term that refers to unlocking your phone and changing the settings set by the manufacturers, including removing the safeguard added by the manufacturers. This can put your phone and its data at risk. Many people jailbreak and root their phones to access anything they want, including paid apps for free. But, in reality, it puts your data at high risk. These apps are not vetted and allow hackers to easily hack your phone and steal data.

Encrypt Data

Your phone holds an insane amount of important data. If it falls into the wrong hands, you can lose everything, including contacts, emails, financial data, and more! To protect your smartphone data, encrypt the data first and foremost. Encryption automatically makes sure your data is safely stored in unreadable form so it can’t be understood by an outsider trying to access your data.

If your phone allows it, you can enable encryption settings from the security menu. To know if your iOS device is encrypted and protected, head to your phone settings and click on ‘Touch ID & Passcode’. Scroll to the end of the page where it says ‘Data Protection is enabled.’

Head to ‘Security’ in your Android phone settings and click on ‘Encrypt Phone’ to encrypt your Android device. Make sure it’s 80% charged though.

Beware of Grayware Apps

Grayware apps are those that don’t appear malicious but can cause a lot of trouble by exposing users to privacy and security risks. They are similar to phishing apps but it’s difficult to spot a grayware app. Make sure to only download apps from the official app store after reading trusted reviews.

To Wrap It Up

Practice these 8 tips to protect yourself and your data from falling into the wrong hands! By taking a few precautions, you can protect your phone from security threats.