Know these three best practices for keeping your smartphone safe from cybercriminals:
Every Smartphone Has a Lock Screen. Use it. Always.
Your smartphone is designed for quick, easy access to all your data. No one wants to constantly log into their Gmail app or WhatsApp on the go. One of the main values of a smartphone is that it can stay logged into these services and notify you as soon as you receive a message or an update.
This means that anyone who gets a hold of your phone can probably read through your email, notes, messaging apps, view your gallery, and maybe even scroll through medical history without ever needing to know a single username or password.
This is why your smartphone or tablet has a lock screen – the setting that makes you punch in a PIN number, connect a pattern of dots or even scan your fingerprint before you can use your phone.
It’s not just there to be annoying; it’s there to keep a pickpocket (or nosy co-worker) from viewing everything important in your life that connects to your phone – all in one fell swoop.
If you don’t want to spill all your personal secrets, get robbed, or have your identity stolen, use your phone’s lock screen. Set it to turn on the moment your device is idle. Always.
Strangers Shouldn’t Borrow Your Smartphone
Your smartphone’s lock screen can’t keep you safe if you turn it off whenever someone asks.
This is one of the oldest tricks in the book: Ask to borrow someone’s phone to make a quick call, and then step away for “privacy.” What appears to be a simple act of kindness is the easiest way for someone to read your emails, texts, calendar or any other private list or personal information kept on your device.
Text Messages Follow the Same Dos and Don’ts as Email
What’s interesting is that so many of us fail to realize that text messages are just another version of email.
Just as with email, you shouldn’t accept gifts from strangers. Don’t reply to texts from people you don’t know. Don’t follow links in texts from people you don’t know. Don’t download pictures or videos or any files from people you don’t know. That’s a great way to get your phone hacked.
If you don’t recognize the number, block the contact, delete the text, and move on.
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