It’s hard to imagine what life was like before everyone had a mobile phone. What did we do when we were ten minutes late? How did we amuse ourselves on long train journeys? How on earth did we manage to measure the quality of our sleep?
Jokes aside, few of us would be without a phone today; our entire lives are inside that little device. Hence it’s absolutely crucial that we keep our devices safe. With that in mind, here are our top tips for tightening mobile security:
Use secure connections
Internet safety lesson 101: make sure your WiFi connection is secure, especially if you are using a public one. It’s easy for even the least competent hacker to jump in on what you’ve been doing. If you are using a public connection, don’t do your internet banking or anything sensitive and remember to log out again afterwards. If possible, log in under guest mode.
Don’t keep sensitive information on your phone
If you’re worried someone might steal your novel or see those cheeky beach photos, the safest action is not to save them on your phone in the first place. It might seem easier said than done, but look through your files and decide what you’d be most afraid of seeing in the public arena – move as appropriate.
Set up second-layer security
Most of us have a password or PIN to get into our devices and rightly so. It’s a good idea to change your password on a regular basis. Going one step better is to initiate a second layer of security. That might be using a fingerprint scanner or a vault app (into which you can put all your files). Computerworld.com recommends App Lock. This second layer offers that extra peace of mind should you phone ever get taken. And never leave your phone unlocked!
Finally, stop flashing it about!
It sounds obvious, but if people see you at a café, a bar or walking along the street with your fancy new iPhone 6, then you’re making yourself a target for opportunist thieves. Use your device discretely unless you are sure you’re in a ‘safe’ environment. If your phone does get stolen, the thief will have access to a huge amount of personal details, which can be used in any number of horrible ways. Prevention is the best cure, as they say, so put your phone away.
