Your mobile phone is not anywhere near as secure as you think. Making sure it is secure is essential as you keep all kinds of important things on your smartphone, and tablets – not to mention those ‘for your eyes only’ photos!
10 Essentials for Mobile Privacy
Use your PIN or pattern for a password to unlock
This is mobile privacy 101, but surprisingly few people think to use it. Thinking that you have nothing on your phone worth stealing is a poor thought, hackers love all kinds of information that is on your phone.
Use an app that locks your folders
If you have things on your phone that you don’t want others to see when they borrow your phone to make a quick call, or have sensitive data that needs more protection, try an app like avast! Mobile Security. I also like this mobile security app because it’s free!
With this mobile privacy app be able to lock your photos, videos, certain apps, and folders that you create. All with a PIN you choose and can change when you want.
Do not save your banking details on the phone
Sorry, but you really need to memorize these things, it is harder to steal a brain or a memory, than it is to steal information off a smartphone. You could look into a password manager, such as LastPass, to help you out though.
Mobile privacy starts with your clicks
If you don’t know a click’s source, don’t click on it. Hackers love making you do all the work for them by sending you bad links via email, SMS, and in ads. The worst place these days is in social media shares, take a look before clicking on that LOLZ cat photo.
Don’t make racist jokes, sexist comments, or say anything else you may regret
Okay, not being a f*#%ing racist or a sexist is a good idea in life, but having it recorded forever on a phone is DUMB. Say you’re up for a promotion at work, but one of your co-workers has a comment from you on their phone that paints you in a poor picture.
All it takes is them showing it to the boss for you to lose out – and deservedly so. I have no time for racists or sexists, they all should be put in a camp/jail being re-educated until they are ready for civilized society.
Be careful with location sharing apps
There’s nothing scarier than a hacker who knows where you are who tries to intimidate you with that information. This is at its worst with photo sharing apps that can show people your trip path along the way – wait until the trip is over to share all of your photos.
Use a VPN on public networks for the best mobile privacy
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The same phone smart rules apply on smartphone
Phone smarts, such as never giving out personal details, banking information, or your social security number, is a notion which applies to all phones – smartphones are no exceptions.
Do not open files sent in emails that you don’t know
Email spoofing is a big problem. This is when a malicious program imitates your friends by taking their email address and sending you an email with a virus in it ‘from’ them. If your friends send you something weird, email them from a separate message and ask them if they sent it to you.
Use a phone locking and wiping app as your last chance mobile privacy device
When your phone is stolen or lost, an app that remotely wipes the memory of your phone, or locks it up, can be the peace of mind you need for last moment mobile privacy.
For your iPhone, try the Find My iPhone app. For your Google Android phone, try the Android Lost app.
Feature image via Pixsooz / Shutterstock