How to Keep Your Mobile Device Secure
Smartphones and tablets are important tools which we trust with our memories and life’s work. Keeping them secure goes without saying, yet we rarely do so – because we do not know the means or fear that our devices will be less accessible.
These good practices are easy to follow and quite handy in the negative situations we find unlikely until they are not.
Always keep your device up to date
Updates of the operating systems and apps may bring a neat new feature, but they may also fix severe flaws. Both iOS and Android usually install security updates automatically by default, but be sure to check your device settings (OS and app updates for iOS; OS and app updates for Android).
Do not jailbreak it
By jailbreaking a device, you can personalize it and bypass certain restrictions. However, in doing so, you also give up the security measures which for example Apple and Google have implemented and continuously revise to protect you. As a result, you may expose yourself to unknown risks.
Install apps you trust
Both Apple and Google have removed apps from their store engaging in malicious activities. Be careful when choosing which apps to install. First, justify the need and potential benefits. Then check the developer and their other apps. Lastly, always read through the permissions and access apps require. An application that lets you read latest news does not need access to your messages and media files.
Use only trusted Wi-Fi networks
Connecting to a Wi–Fi network in the café may boost the speed of your browsing, but it can also expose you to threats. Unless you really need a Wi–Fi connection away from your home or work place, rely on your mobile data plan.
Enable backup and remote wipe features
Devices get broken or lost. In such cases, you would like to be able to restore your data and prevent others from accessing it. Regular backups (happening in the cloud, without you even noticing) will help you with the first aspect. The remote wipe feature available both for iOS and Android will take care for the second.
See how you can enable these features:
- Backup and remote wipe on iOS;
- Backup and remote wipe on Android.
Pick a strong password and enable biometrics
The password for your device is the key to its content. A “1234” or “0000” PIN is as effective as not having a password at all. A good approach is to pick a strong password, ideally based on numbers, letters and special symbols, and to enable the fingerprinting or face recognition feature to allow quick and easy access to your device.
