Nowadays, mobile phones are a small big gateway to our entire digital world. With them, we can access our most sensitive and confidential information, both financial and personal. Cybercriminals know this, so they are also directing their attacks on these devices. It is important to learn how to increase their security with these simple tips:
By protecting access with automatic locking mechanisms, you will help keep your mobile phone more secure when you are not using it. And if you lose your phone, this measure will prevent anyone else from accessing the information it contains. You can use a pattern, a PIN and/or set up biometric recognition for devices that allow it.
It is essential to keep your smartphone's operating system, whether Android or iOS, updated with the latest available version to avoid and correct security vulnerabilities. So don't forget to do it, you can set up automatic updates for the installation of new versions. This recommendation not only applies to the operating system, but also to all apps installed on your mobile.
Sometimes we forget that a smartphone is like a small pocket computer, and it can suffer the same cyberattacks as any other device. To prevent this, you should install anti-malware and keep it updated to protect your personal and confidential information.
Make sure you do it from official stores: Play Store for Android, App Store for iOS, and AppGallery for Huawei, although that does not mean that all the apps available through these stores are secure or respect your privacy. You must carefully read the terms and conditions requested by each app and consider whether they are justified or excessive for the functions that the app offers.
Here you can view everything you need to consider before installing any app.
At the airport, in the hotel, in the bar, on the street... It is getting easier and easier to find public Wi-Fi networks that allow any user to connect to the internet.
Although they can get you out of a fix when you don't have any data on your mobile, you need to take certain precautions: For example, if you decide to use them, avoid accessing services where you have to enter your personal or confidential data (online banking,online shopping, e-mail access,etc.). Public Wi-Fi networks could be compromised and, therefore, your data could be intercepted by cybercriminals.
As well as being useful for recovering your information in the event of loss or theft of your mobile, you will also be protecting all your details from malware infections (especially ransomware, which encrypts the content of the files and asks you for a ransom in bitcoin if you want to recover the information).
With your backup, this "hijacking" of your information won't ruin your day, as you will have your information secure on another device or in the cloud.
- If you have applied the first tip, by applying an access lock on your mobile such as a pattern or PIN, or even additional biometric recognition, you will have made it much more difficult for anyone to access your device and the information it contains. Even so, you should block it remotely.
To do this, it is important that you know the IMEI of your device: With this number, you can request your operator to lock your mobile, and it will also help you file a report with the police.
Check here how to act.