April 15, 2016
That smartphone in your pocket is not just a phone, it is your life. Long gone are the days where a cellphone was used for voice calls. In fact voice calls are probably the least used feature. Smartphones are now full fledged computing devices, with direct access to almost all the services you use daily, and your personal data, including:
- Contacts
- Banking
- Personal messages
- Personal photos
- And much more
A compromised or lost phone can potentially give someone full access to your entire life, which is why it is of the utmost importance that you protect your phone physically as well as the software. Many people are unaware that a smartphone can be infected with malware, just like a real computer, with all your data stolen, and used for profit.
What you can do to protect yourself
There are a number of simple steps that can be taken to protect your mobile device against theft/loss or infection:
- Ensure your mobile Operating System is up to date
- Frequently backup your data
- Set a login password/passcode more complex than the default 4 number pin, along with using the fingerprint scanner, if available
- Only install software from the official app store
- Be conscious of the websites you visit, as they may contain malicious content that could infect your mobile device
- Enable the mobile device’s location service
- Enable the phone’s encryption
Written by: Brendan Hohenadel (Cyber Forensics Analyst, Information Security)
Image Source: Freepik [1]