We use our phones to assist us in practically everything these days, so there’s a lot of information stored on our devices. Naturally, some of that information is pretty sensitive—which means we want to make sure it remains secure. Whether you think about it often or not, everyone should be worried about protecting the data living on their smartphone. To ensure that you’re doing so, take a look at the following strategies you can use to protect it. These tips and tricks run the gamut from quite basic and easy to fairly sophisticated, and they’ll be sure to improve the security of your device.10 Ways to Protect Data On Your Smartphone
Monitor your app permissions: You might be surprised by how much information your mobile apps are collecting—because you haven’t told them not to. Your maps app, for instance, is probably set to track your location by default. If you don’t want a third party knowing your personal details, make sure to go through the settings of each individual app you download and check to see what information it collects.
Change passwords often: This is another basic trick, but still a good one. The longer you leave a password in place, the more likely it is that someone will guess it or that it will be leaked in a data breach. To maximize security, change your passwords every month or two.
Encrypt your device: Encryption turns all the information on your phone into illegible jargon—unless someone has the code required to translate it. iOS device owners can rest easy on this one, because your data is already encrypted automatically if you’re using a password to unlock the phone. Android owners will have to encrypt their phones manually, which can take several hours,but is worth the time investment.
Use a VPN: Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) allow you to send and receive data with greater privacy than you would be able to enjoy without one. Essentially, they prevent your internet service provider from being able to see the sites you visit or - in theory - throttle your connection speed. They can also give you the ability to disguise your current location, which is known as “geo-spoofing”.
Block suspicious URLs: A variety of different mobile security apps (for example: Kaspersky, Lookout, and TrustGo) will offer to block suspicious-looking URLs. Doing so can prevent you from accidentally downloading malware, so it’s not a bad idea to invest in one.
Back-up your data in a safe location: One of the worst things that can happen during a data breach is that you lose access to important information. To prevent that from happening, make sure to back your data up to a secure, cloud-based service or an external hard drive. Doing so will also give you some peace of mind in case you ever need to follow the next step on this list.
Wipe your device remotely: Wiping your device completely might seem drastic, but if you have sensitive personal information on a mobile that is lost or stolen, you may want to exercise the ability to erase it from a distance. The Android Device Manager makes this easy for Android owners, while Apple users can do it with Find My iPhone on iCloud.com.
Disable all connections you aren’t currently using: Wi-Fi and Bluetooth have been around for a while now, but that hasn’t stopped hackers from exploiting them. In fact, it’s probably just made them more familiar with different ways to do so. However, there’s one surefire way to make sure a hacker won’t access your device over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth: don’t use them. More appropriately, disconnect your phone from either of these networks the moment you stop using them for whatever you were doing. Only using them when you need to gives potential invaders far fewer windows of opportunity.
Uninstall idle programs: When apps get old, they become vulnerable. That’s why updates often include security patches. However, it’s pretty unlikely that you’ll remember to update an app you haven’t even used for months—which makes old and unused apps major security vulnerabilities. Go through your device and delete any that you don’t plan on using soon.
Test your device regularly: The best way to find out about the security of your device is to have it tested. There are plenty of device-testing services out there, from simple programs that identify malware to Phonecheck’s mobile diagnostics software that can identify up to 60 possible defects. If you’re worried that something may have already happened to a device you own, this is an excellent way to find out for sure.
Protecting your data doesn’t have to be difficult—you can start with the simplest recommendations on this list and work your way up to the more complex ones once you’re comfortable. However, we recommend all of the strategies above to ensure that your device is safe and your data is protected.
