Our top 10 safety tips for mobile devices

There’s a popular misconception that mobile devices are somehow more resistant to hacking and cyberthreats than PCs (personal computers) or other standalone devices, this Isn’t exactly true.

In today’s age, anything connected to the internet can be tampered with or hacked. The age of the “Internet of Things” (IoT) is here and there have even been cases of web connected devices like appliances being hacked and used to gain access to data within your household or office.

Your cell phone or tablet are really just smaller computers. Whether you have an Android phone or tablet or stick to Apple products, you still need to take precautions when visiting websites or opening emails and attachments as you do with your laptop or desktop. Plus, because these devices are much more portable you even should take extra precautions when taking it out in public.

Here are our top 10 safety tips for mobile devices:

1. Always lock your phone when you’re not using it. Setting up a pin, facial recognition or fingerprint recognition will also add another layer of security.
2. Keep your software up to date. Just like with computer updates, phone OS updates often include important security patches to keep your device safe.
3. Only download applications from secure sources. Questionable applications can lead to your phone being compromised, and even with applications from a known good source (like the Google Play Store or the Apple Store) only give them as many permissions as they need to function and no more.
4. Install an Antivirus on your phone. Many may not know antivirus software Isn’t limited to computers, but there are antivirus solutions for computers that will include a phone version bundled together.
5. Be careful with public Wi-Fi. Open public networks are open to everyone – including hackers who are able to see everyone who’s connected. Only use them if absolutely necessary.
6. Same goes for public phone charging. Hackers can tamper with or even setup fake cellphone charging stations in a scheme known at “juice jacking”, when you plug your phone in it installs malware on your device. If you need extra battery power, consider carrying a power bank with you.
7. Just like with your PC, vary your passwords. It can be more difficult to create good passwords on your phone, luckily the same applications like LastPass (our recommended password manager) you use on your PC for password management also have mobile versions.
8. On the upside 2FA is even easier on a phone than a PC. Many 2FA applications like Google Authenticator are cellphone based, making 2FA even easier to use on your phone.
9. Be careful what data you save to your phone. Many of us save our payment information to our phones for easier checkout but if your phone is compromised (or stolen) than all that information is now in the hands of a bad actor. It’s might be worth reconsidering saving that information, especially details for something like your bank account or anything that can’t be easily changed.
10. If you are going to take some risks (like using public Wi-Fi) consider a VPN. Virtual Private Networks (VPN) can encrypt your data, making it a little safer to use public Wi-FI.

We also have some safety tips for your IoTs devices in this chart:

If you have mobile devices connected to your business’s office network, it’s worth evaluating whether there is any risk involved for your business. There are network security solutions that will apply the same rules for mobile devices as it does for PCs, meaning even if a compromised cellphone connects you will still have protection from the rest of your network being infected. If you’d like to learn more schedule a consultation with us today.

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This article was powered by Valley Techlogic, an IT service provider in Atwater, CA. You can find more information at https://www.valleytechlogic.com/ or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/valleytechlogic/ . Follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/valleytechlogic.