It’s not too surprising that most people use their smartphones to store all sorts of personal information these days. From banking credentials to photos and contacts, our phones contain vital information about us. Here are eight simple tips you can follow to ensure the safety of your smartphone and its contents.
Lock Your Phone with A Pin
We’ve all seen the convenience of being able to input a 4-digit passcode into an ATM machine, but these same security features can be put in place for your smartphone as well. A PIN may be more difficult for a thief to crack than a simple swipe pattern, so consider setting one up on your Android or iPhone.
Use a Strong Passcode
Don’t settle for four simple numbers or even just a word. A good passcode includes letters, numbers, and symbols in an order that doesn’t make sense to anyone but you.
Install Anti-Virus Software on Your Phone
While this won’t protect you from hackers or other cybercriminals, it will help keep your phone virus-free and running smoothly.
Enable Find My Device
This will allow you to track your phone from any browser if it is ever lost or stolen. So, make sure to browse the Settings on your smartphone and enable it before you use it in public.
Take Control of Automatic Updates
Unlike PCs, phones usually update automatically over the air, which means you don’t have control over when your device gets updated or whether a given update is malicious. To ensure updates are genuine and secure, disable automatic updates in the settings menu and make sure that any software updates come from trusted sources only.
Use Two-Factor Authentication
When you’re logging into your accounts, you should always use two-factor authentication, which requires you to type not only a password but also another piece of information—a code sent via text message or generated by an app—to prove that you are indeed the account owner.
Locate Your Smartphone’s IMEI Number
This is a 15-digit ID number that uniquely identifies your device. If your phone is stolen, this number will help you get it back.
Protect your Data Before You Lose It
Most phones come with some kind of remote-wipe feature that automatically deletes all of your data if someone unknown steals your phone and guesses your password incorrectly several times in a row (usually three). Enable these features/settings on your phone
