Tip of the Week: Methods to Securing Your Smartphone

The smartphone has quickly become a staple in modern society, as users rely on them to accomplish more and more. You could probably say the same of your own use of it. This means that there are not only huge amounts of smartphones and smartphone users, there is a huge amount of threats out there to target them.

In order to get the most utility out of your smartphone, you need to be certain that it is protected from the influence of these threats. For this week’s tip, we’ve put together a list of standards that you (and anyone else associated with your business) should uphold.

Protect Your Device by Locking It

Let’s begin with a very basic security concept: a device that is locked (and requires a code to be reopened) is going to be inherently more secure than a device that doesn’t. While that should be common sense, many people still don’t use it to their advantage - despite the unlocking process becoming easier and easier for the authorized user, with options to use fingerprints and facial recognition as a means of accessing the device.

Neglecting to do so means that you are leaving your device and the data on it at the mercy of whomever happens to walk by.

Protect Your Device by Capping Wireless Connectivity 

Your device has plenty of ways to connect to external devices and services… trouble is, that leaves plenty of connections that a hacker could use to infiltrate your device and data. Public Wi-Fi is notorious for being a breeding ground for threats, and Bluetooth and NFC communications can easily be used to steal data. Deactivate these capabilities when you aren’t actively using them.

Limit the Access Your Applications Have

We’ve all been there - trying to download an application from an approved and official source (such as Google Play), when the application suddenly puts up a request for access to far more data than it should need to function properly. What gives?

Here’s the thing… while the app itself may not need all the information they ask for, the developers need it if they want to sell it to advertisers or share it with social media platforms. Does that silly match-four game you downloaded really need to know who your contacts are, or hear what you’re saying all the time? Probably not, so you can deny these apps from accessing this information in your settings. Alternatively, you could also go with the nuclear option and just delete them.

Keep It Updated

One of the primary reasons that updates are released for operating systems is to shore up any cybersecurity issues that have been resolved since the last time the device was used. While this really does sound simple enough to accomplish, many users neglect to update their device in a timely manner, leaving them vulnerable.

Be Careful with Attachments and Spam in Messaging Applications

Messaging applications are very common in today’s devices, which cybercriminals have certainly noticed. This is why they use attachments in these applications to deliver their payloads to their victims, and spam messages in a similar way. Keeping to the best practices you would normally use to protect your email can keep your use of your smartphone secure as well.

Following these tips will help you to keep your smartphone secure against threats, and by extension, your business. For more means of securing your technology, reach out to the experts at Walsh IT Group. Give us a call at (832) 295-1445 to get started.