Safety is one of the most fundamental existential needs of any human being. We need to feel secure and protected, and that applies to the world of the Internet as well. We all know that the web is not the safest place on Earth, and with the increasing demand to put sensitive data in more and more applications or e-shops, it is high time we make sure that our devices are safe.
You must have antivirus software on your laptop, and you must have heard about professional IT services that will ensure your online safety, like Ntiva, for example. We tend to remember about setting up some additional security measures when it comes to our personal computers, but what about mobile devices? They are just as vulnerable, if not more, to get hacked or infected by malware. Let’s find out what are the top five ways to protect your mobile devices.
Set up a password protection
You might be surprised, but when somebody wants to steal your data, it doesn’t have to be always a hack or malware. Your phone can be simply stolen, the old-fashioned theft that could cost you greatly. To buy yourself some time to disconnect the phone, you need to make sure it is password protected. Having a password is a basic safety precaution, and you should apply it to all of your mobile devices. You can even set up more than one password for one device to make it easier for you to use your mobile equipment on a day to day basis.
A passcode, a PIN, or fingerprint lock, choose whatever is comfortable for you to use.
Get rid of the apps you don’t use
Old applications can be an easy target for hackers. They are not getting updated, and therefore their safety measures are also old-fashioned. Updates, as annoying as they are, are absolutely necessary. The recommended action here is to assess all of your applications and delete those which you don’t use. Once you do it, it will be easier to manage all the updates and keep your devices safe. Besides, having more memory is always desired, right?
Use only trusted Internet sources
Public Wi-Fi is one of the most dangerous things when it comes to the safety of your mobile devices. It is much easier to infect your mobile devices or hack into them when you are in the public place and use an unsecured Internet connection. To stay safe, avoid connecting your mobile device to public Wi-Fi or ones that don’t require a password. If you must use public Wi-Fi, make sure to connect to a legitimate service provider or at least use a VPN. Remember never to make any financial transactions or access personal/sensitive data while you are a public Wi-Fi user.
Back your data up
If you get your phone stolen, or you simply drop it on the phone, you might lose a lot of data. This could cause some significant problems, as you do not have access to some of the documents. Fortunately, all of this can be avoided when you back up your data regularly. Make sure to back up and link your information to your laptop or a cloud-based service. You might be able to remotely wipe all of the data if your mobile device gets into the wrong hands, depending on the device and service provider. Having a backup gives you a feeling of safety and helps to keep your data secure.
Update till you drop
We have already touched a little bit on the importance of updates when talking about old applications, but you really can’t stress that enough. But now it is time to mention the always necessary operating system update. Your phone and tablet use an operating system to work, and it requires periodic updates. To stay safe, create a habit of checking for available software updates and getting them as soon as possible. These updates can get rid of existing security flaws, improve the user experience, and protect the data on your device. You can set up reminders in the calendar to make sure you remember about updates, as it is really easy to forget about them.
Protecting your devices should be everybody’s responsibility, and to be honest, it is not that difficult to do so. All you need to do is to remember a few simple rules and make sure to improve the level of security of your devices from time to time. However, do not think that your data is not important enough to be stolen; it is. You don’t even realize how much of your life is embedded in your mobile devices. Stay safe!