Mobile devices, despite their tiny size and limited resources, can be made secure than traditional computing devices. Provided you set up proper security mechanisms.
If you are someone like me, one of your hands will always be occupied with a mobile device. From sending texts to scrolling social newsfeed or Instagramming whole day, I live my life with a mobile device. It is a digital version of my personality. I can’t be without a phone for a day, let alone a few hours.
Despite my best efforts to protect my mobile, one summer evening it was stolen from me. Just like that, without any trace, it just vanished. The ground under me felt like giving away. I was devastated. What shook me more was that my mobile device was home to all my personal data. Ever since I started using a mobile device, I hardly used a desktop or laptop. So, all my data was now gone.
That is when it struck me that I was never serious about mobile security. I was quick to buy a new mobile to put my life back on track. The first thing I did was to turn on and set up every possible mobile device security measure I could find.
In this blog, I want to share with you some such best practices related to mobile device security. Following these best practices will protect your data, your device, and your emotional well-being.
Use VPN
When you are visiting any site, use VPN that will allow you to browse in a secure environment. There are free VPN apps available on Google Play that offers limited features. Moreover, do not use public Wi-Fi as they are always soft targets for hackers. Always stay away from blocked website or illegal websites, which your telecom subscriber or provider has restricted on their network.
Set up access controls
How do you unlock your phone? Is it with a pattern, PIN, password, or a simple swipe? If you haven’t set up reliable access control that only you can unlock, your phone data is in danger. Anybody who has access to your phone will be able to open and see the data without your permission. So, as a best practice, ensure that you set up a definite pattern, PIN, or password that nobody else can unlock easily. Moreover, change pattern or password for maximum security and keep your password long like 8-10 characters and contain alphanumeric characters.
Exercise caution while downloading
What draws me to mobile devices the most is mobile apps. There are many apps, and most of them are free. From alarm clock to video conferencing, there is nothing that these little pieces of mobile software can do. They are free, readily available; almost anyone can create and deploy them. All these benefits are in a way sure recipe for disaster.
Imagine a hacker creating a fake app that steals user data and launching it online? Be it a mobile or while accessing a website, ensure that you deal only with authorized sources. Apps published only by authentic app developers must be downloaded. Similarly, while visiting any new website, ensure that it has an HTTPS address bar. It is proof that the site is secured with an SSL certificate. Additionally, you should encrypt your mobile device as it is inbuilt feature in Smartphone. You need to remember the password used when encrypting your data. Encryption of data prevents illegal access to it.
Backup your data on the cloud
The first and foremost risk of mobile security is that you stand to lose your entire data. Once it is lost, it is lost forever, like a stone dropped into the ocean. So, to safeguard your data always take backups on the cloud. Cloud data backup ensures that you get seamless access to your data. You can even access it from a web browser or your tablet device. In the worst-case scenario, also if the mobile device is lost, you can lock out the data from unauthorized access.
Turn on two-factor authentication
Two-factor authentication or 2FA is the use of two separate tokens or access mechanisms to give the user access to the mobile data. For instance, when you access Gmail from mobile device, you will have to enter the password as well as a one-time password received dynamically to gain access.
This ensures that no other user other than the registered user can access it. You can turn on two-factor authentication for your mobile’s account by going to settings and security. If you are using an Android phone, you can also make use of the built-in ‘lost my phone’ feature.
Final thoughts
Millions of other users got their phones hacked. Let’s face it. Mobile device security is a serious issue. As a user, you must take measures to safeguard your mobile devices from harm’s way.
Antivirus is also a good weapon to fight against privacy breach as it provides security against many unwanted threats and malware and keep your device secure. Mobile devices need a specific form of security which can be made possible by the user only.
These tips should help you get started with it.