Mobile devices have become essential and also Mobile security tips parts of today’s life primarily as means of communication as sources of entertainment and as containers of sensitive personal information.
Unfortunately, this reliance on the network, combined with the fact that is a moving target makes the ports an easy target for the cybercriminals.
Unprotected these threats like data breaches, malware infections, and phishing attacks, threaten to expose your privacy, and even to empty your bank account.
In this article, I present 15 practical measures to protect your mobile devices security and personal data. You can then fine tune the built in security features and use additional protective tools to make your device more secure.
#1. Regular Update Your OS
Action: Automatic update for iOS or Android device. If you can’t have automatic updates, then you can manually check for updates every two weeks under your mobile ‘Settings’ menu.
Potential risk: Updates delayed gives you more exposure to vulnerabilities of known attacks that have been exploited.
#2. Use Strong unique Passwords
Action: A password manager should be used to create and store very strong passwords. Always keep in mind that every account and device login should use a unique password free of all sorts of upper- and lower case letters and numbers.
Potential risk: when you re-use passwords between platforms, and things like Hotmail come into the mix, that one breach can become a domino effect of compromised accounts.
#3. Set Two Factor Authentication (2FA)
Action: All accounts that support 2FA should be enabled with 2FA. To further secure things, use Google Authenticator, or any other authenticator app or you can use Authy instead of SMS codes.
Potential risk: Though more secure than passwords, 2FA can still be defeated in SIM swapping attacks, so it’s further recommended.
#4. Don’t use Public Wi-Fi without a VPN
Action: Don’t input sensitive information like banking credentials when connected to public Wi-Fi networks. To fully protect yourself, always use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to keep your internet from being seen and encrypt your data.
Potential risk: Man in the middle attacks can intercept the data you’re transmitting on the same Wi-Fi network.
#5. Install Apps Only From Trusted Sources
Action: On Android, the Android users disable the option to install apps from ‘Unknown Sources’ in device settings. Stick with official app marketplace, such as Google Play Store, or Apple App Store, and wait for permissions.
Potential risk: You need to be careful, even official marketplaces can host fraudulent apps.
#6. Review App Permissions Regularly
Action: Go and check app permissions periodically in your settings. Denying permissions your app doesn’t need such as location tracking in a calculator app.
Potential risk: Services with overprovisioned permissions are entry points for malware or data breach.
#7. Encrypt Your Mobile Data
Action: In Settings > Security, turn on device encryption on Android devices and check on iPhones if encryption is on already (on iPhones encryption is enabled by default but it should be enabled with a secure password).
Potential risk: Your data can be lost on unencrypted devices during physical theft.
#8. Use Biometric Authentication
Action: Make sure that you have facial recognition or fingerprint scanning set up on your device, but only use these technologies as secure as these: Apple’s Face ID or advanced fingerprint sensors.
Potential risk: Even techniques like photo replication can still bypass lower grade biometric authentication.
#9. Regularly Back Up Your Device
Action: Backup automatically to a cloud service or to encrypted physical storage device, weekly.
Potential risk: Lack of ability to recover from software or hardware failure.
#10. Off Bluetooth when not needed
Action: Disable Bluetooth when you’re not using it. And this is a measure against an attack such as known ‘bluebugging,’ which means they can allow remote access to the device.
Potential risk: Unauthorised data exfiltration may be possible with always available connections.
#11. Be Wary of Phishing Attempts
Action: Do not click the links you received from unsolicited people. Look through emails for strange attachments or a bad match in email addresses.
Potential risk: The unauthorised withdrawal or identity theft caused by a phishing breach.
#12. Install Mobile Security Software
Action: Instead, think of reputable ones like Bitdefender, Norton or Avast. Make sure that they keep threat libraries updated.
Potential risk: Devices that do not have antivirus protection are much more prone to become infected with malware.
#13. Secure Lock Screen
Action: Only use more advanced options like pattern locks, or PINs, or passcodes. Don’t use easy to guess combinations like ‘1234’ or birth dates.
Potential risk: Attackers easily bypassed by weak locking mechanisms.
#14. Automatic Connections to Public WI-FI disabled
Action: Make sure you turn off Wi-Fi automatically connecting in your mobile settings.
Potential risk: Users can be de-anonymised by attackers by creating ‘honeypot’ networks.
#15. Update and Remove Unused Apps
Action: If you can, update apps as often as possible, or get rid of those you no longer use.
Potential risk: Old apps are vulnerable to security holes being exploited.
Conclusion
Mobile device device security unlike most other security tasks is never done. When you apply these 15 measures, you set down a solid foundation for protecting personal data against the ongoing
These 15 things create a solid framework for protecting personal data from what ever comes next cyber threats.
Do you have a mobile security tip that is missed here? If you have something to share with us, please help by leaving it in the comments below and help others stay safe!
