These days your smartphone is just as powerful as your laptop or pc a few years back. You store more personal and work information on your device and it’s always connected to the internet.
It’s exactly this convenience that puts you as a smartphone user at risk. Cooltech, iAfrica’s tech section, has a few ideas to minimise risk and ensure your personal information stays, well, personal and safe from malware and cybercriminals and other security risks.
Set up a password
Your first line of defense is to simply set up a password on your phone. Most cellphone providers allow you to type in a pin number each time you switch on your phone or after a period on inactivity.
Install security software
Since smart phones are no longer just for storing phone numbers and sms’s, but also bankdetails, they’re also an easy and perfect target for cybercriminals.
Consider installing anti virus software to protect your device against malware. F-Secure, Norton and other large security software vendors each have their own version for the main smartphone platforms.
Activate the remote wipe function
The biggest risk is the the theft or loss of your device. Rather than worry about a stranger snooping through your information, activate the remore wipe function.
This function will allow you, by means of an internet connection, to delete your photos, business contacts and e-mails when you suspect you might not be able to recover your phone.
Some manufacturers like BlackBerry and Apple offer the remote wipe function and location applications for their latest devices, while third party applications are available for other platforms.
Download safe and approved applications
The temptation to download a free, unofficial application on your iPhone or Android instead of purchasing one through iStore, is big, but do you really want to take the risk and expose your phone to malware. Rather stick legitimate sources where proper quality control is done and applications don’t come with added nasty surprises.
Backup your data
As we’ve already established, a substantial amount of your life is on your smart phone – e-mail, phone contacts, documents, photos and much more. Just as you back up your computer (hopefully!), do the same with your cell phone so you won’t lose everything if you lose your phone. Many smartphones allow you to make a thorough backup from your device to your pc or at least sync the most important data and settings to an online service. Many smartphones allow you to make a comprehensive backup of your device to a computer, or to sync your most critical data and settings to an online service.
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