How to secure your mobile devices?
Security Awareness TIP OF THE DAY!
Do not Lose that device!
Are you aware that you are 100 times more likely to lose your laptop or mobile device that having it stolen or hacked? While travelling, always make sure to double check to make sure you have your devices with you, such as exiting your taxi, leaving the airport security etc.
Overview
Your mobile devices are amazing in their capabilities and prove to be an easy way to perform a myriad of activities such as shop online, communicate with friends, watch movies, etc.
Secure that device!
It may be surprising for you to know that the biggest risk to your mobile devices are not hackers, but likely YOU! The probability of you losing or forgetting your device somewhere is far more greater then someone hacking into it. First and foremost, you should always protect your device with a screen lock which enables automatic locking of the screen. This implies that every time you want to use your phone, you should unlock it. There are different kinds of screen locks, it could be a passphrase, a fingerprint, a face lock or a pattern. This will make it difficult for anyone to gain access to your mobile device if its lost or stolen.
Update your device regularly!
It is best to enable automatic updating on your devices to ensure that they are always running the latest version of the operating system and other apps installed on your device. Hackers are always on the look out for new weaknesses in the software and thus, it is critical to install the new updates and patches vendors roll out on a regular basis. Always running the latest version of the operating system makes it much harder for a hacker to exploit software weaknesses and hack into your device.
Enable Remote tracking!
It is imperative for you to enable a remote tracking software on your mobile device. If your device is lost or stolen, you can use this software to find the location of your device or even wipe all of your information stored on the device. In some cases you can even enable the camera of your mobile device remotely and look at the thief.
Only download trusted apps!
Make sure to always download apps you need and from trusted sources. For ipads or iphones, you can download apps from the Apple app store, Android users can download apps from the Google play store and Amazon tablets can download apps from the Amazon App Store. While there are other option sot download apps from third party websites, these apps are not vetted and are far more likely to get infected. Before downloading the application, make sure to check that it has lots of positive reviews and is actively updated by the vendor. Stay away from apps with few reviews or ones that are rarely updated. Finally, regardless of the source of your app, make sure to delete the app once it is not required. This is advise because you may never know which app can be used as a medium to hack into your device.
Review the privacy options!
When installing a new application, make sure to review its privacy options and the privacy policy. Review the permission the app requires. This can be done from the settings. It is highly recommended to only give access to application or information that is critical for the application to function normally. It is recommended to disable location tracking for all the apps and enable it only when you need it. If you are uncomfortable with the permission requirements of an app, find a different one that meets your needs. In addition, periodically check the permissions to ensure they have not changed.
Always back up your data!
For mobile devices, a great deal of your information such as your photos or messages is often backed up automatically to the cloud service your phone is using (Google drive or iCloud). However, backups also store your configurations, apps, and other device information, making it much easier to recover from a lost device or transition to a new one.
Work ethics!
Your mobile devices are powerful and have a lot of capacity and so it is very important to use them carefully. At work, be careful with your mobile device and never take pictures or videos that may accidentally include sensitive information.
Your mobile devices are a powerful tool. Just following these few simple steps can go a long way to keeping you and your devices secure.