We can’t live without our phones. From texting to shopping online, we can and do almost everything with our phones these days.
The more people use their phones, there is also a downside. There is a lot of personal information about us on it, like passwords and credit card information.
And with a company phone, you can get important information from your employer. Because hackers want to get their hands on that data in 2022, the smartphone will be a very good place to start.
It is very important that you take the right steps to protect your smartphone. It’s still your job as a user to make sure this doesn’t happen.
If you want to learn how to keep your smartphone safe in a hurry, this is the course for you! It’s never a bad idea to go over these tips again.
We write from an Android point of view, but many of these tips are also significant for iOS devices, although the features may be accessed from different sub-menus under the Settings menu.
Keep your screen Locked
Start by setting up a lock screen. With a lock screen, your screen is temporarily locked as soon as your smartphone isn’t used for even a split second.
Make sure you have unlocked the screen in order to be able to use the phone again.
In the event that you lose your smartphone or it is stolen, someone else can’t just use your smartphone right away.
If you want to set a lock screen on your smartphone, you can do so in the Password and Biometrics menu.
There are a lot of ways to lock your screen. You can do it the old-fashioned way with a password or PIN, or you can do it with modern, biometric tech.
Both ways have good and bad points. As long as you use an old-fashioned password or a PIN code, you can be sure that they will work in any case.
There are ways to get your password or PIN number, even if you use an easy-to-guess one like “123456.” You can’t break biometric security, like fingerprint or facial recognition, because your fingerprint is unique.
The scanners in your smartphone aren’t yet as good as they could be, though. In this case, you won’t be able to use your smartphone. A password and biometric security is the best way to protect your account.
2-Step Verification
Do you have a lot of accounts on the web? If you want to be safe, you need to set up two-step verification, then.
As soon as you set up two-step verification, you add an extra layer of security to your accounts. In the event that an unknown device logs in with your username and password, you will get an email or text message about it.
There is still a chance that you might not be able to log in, but you are also doing this on your own from a new device.
So, two-step verification stops an unknown person from getting into your account, and it can also be a sign that your password isn’t safe.
As long as you have an android smartphone, you should set it up for your Google account right away.
If you want to do this, you can do it on your Google account in the security menu.
Safe surfing
Make sure you do this in the safest way possible. A few simple tricks can help us.
A first trick is to hide your identity while you surf the web. There will be no record of your activity if you are “incognito.” Third-party cookies will not work, and they won’t be able to send you them.
To open an incognito window in Google Chrome, the default Android browser, you just need to click the three dots on top right and then choose “incognito.” If you don’t like that hidden stuff, it’s a good idea to install a good ad blocker.
Even if you don’t mind pop-up ads and commercial breaks while you’re surfing, there may be a malicious link behind them that could harm you.
There are many times when web administrators don’t have to choose which ads show up on their site. It’s good for Chrome to use AdBlock.
Also, be careful when you use public Wi-Fi. If you want to cut down on your mobile data, it’s very tempting to connect to a free and public Wi-Fi.
But from a security point of view, this is not a good idea, because public Wi-Fi networks aren’t as safe.
As long as the hacker has some skills, he or she can use public Wi-Fi networks to get your browsing history.
If you’re on a public network, don’t enter your password or credit card information anywhere. Also, be careful when you enter phone numbers and email addresses to get in.
People often ask, “Does it really matter if you can’t be found on the internet?” VPN servers can be used then.
When you do this, your IP address is sent from your computer to a server in a different place, so it can’t be sent back to your computer.
As an extra bonus, you can also get online content that wouldn’t be available in your country if you used the default server instead.
A VPN usually only costs you a few extra dollars per month, but it’s not always that cheap. PureVPN, NordVPN, and Surfshark are three of the best VPN services we know of.
If there is smoke, there is also malware
Cybercriminals use malware as a way to attack us, and they try to get it to us in a lot of different ways.
Fake links in emails or ads are a classic, but smartphone apps can also be a Trojan horse, so be careful.
People should only download apps from the Google Play Store if they want to avoid installing malicious apps.
This is what Google Play Protect does: It checks every app you want to install for malware.
There are some times when apk files are used to install apps that can’t be found in the app store.
You should pay attention to this though. You don’t always know what you’re getting, and the apps don’t get updated after you install them.
Google Play’s detection mechanism, on the other hand, isn’t entirely bulletproof. As a result, it isn’t a terrible idea to keep your antivirus software up to date.
A fire alarm is a good analogy for cyber security. A lot of smoke detectors will alert you to a probable fire fast, allowing you to take the necessary precautions to prevent more harm.
Viruses are no exception to this rule. It is possible to stop a virus before it has a chance to cause harm to your computer. We love the mobile apps from Bitdefender, Norton Antivirus, and Avast.
Your smartphone should be up to date at all times
Whenever there are updates available, it’s preferable to get them installed as soon as they’re available.
Major system updates are common in the life of an Android user. For the most part, it’s the tiny security updates that are critical to the security of your smartphone.
Every day, a new vulnerability in Android or an app is discovered. These “zero-day defects” appear to be making hackers more active in their attempts to exploit them.
The most recent bug fixes are included in security updates. As there are so many different manufacturers, the frequency of updates varies greatly.
Every month or every quarter, this happens with most brands. However, manufacturers are making progress in this area, which is excellent news for us.
It’s been four years since Samsung began supporting its latest models. If you’d want to receive new software, there’s a menu in the settings called Update Software.
Install any new software for your smartphone that’s been released since you last checked. Choosing to install updates automatically will make your life easier.
It’s easy to keep your phone up-to-date this way. Additionally, if your phone isn’t in use, you can schedule an overnight update.
Link multiple users
This method is for the expert Android user. It has been possible since Android 5.0 to link numerous user accounts to a single phone. Users and Accounts is where this option is located.
There is also a guest account by default for those who don’t have access to the owner or manager.
There are only a few apps it can use and only a few permissions it can use to change settings.
For example, you can utilise the guest account to lend your device to a friend or family member. To return to the owner’s position, you’ll have to first unlock the screen.
On top of the guest account, you can add numerous more users, for whom you can establish a unique security each time.
To spread your most vital data and files, among other things, you can use different accounts. To steal all of your information, a hacker would need to be able to break into multiple accounts.
Privacy Dashboard
Of course, a little privacy should not be overlooked in this course.
If you already have Android 12, you should definitely check out the updated privacy dashboard.
Through a single menu, you can manage the permissions for all apps on your smartphone.
The Privacy Dashboard may be accessed in the settings under the privacy option. Select Location, for example, in the chart to see which apps have access to your location.
You can also view and modify all permissions for each app. It is best to disable permissions for apps that you do not use.
This is not only beneficial to your privacy, but hackers can use an application to acquire access to your camera, microphone, or other components.
Remember that protecting your smartphone is a never-ending task. Keep repeating the preceding advice to keep your smartphone’s security in check.
