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Securing Your Mobile Device
In an increasingly mobile and data driven planet, smartphones more resemble PCs than they do regular phones.
This is a very powerful trend as people using smartphones can now conduct business using their phones and on the go. However, anyone who has used a PC before knows the dangers and annoyances of keeping it secure from viruses to hackers.
Mobile phones are no exception and today users must be proactive in keeping their mobile data secure and protected. Snap Secure would like to share some common sense tips and advice that everyone should know.
Tip 1. Simple Steps You Should Be Doing to Protect Your Smartphones
It’s easy to forget that your smartphone isn’t just a phone anymore but more like a PC that stores sensitive data and personal information. Many people don’t realize that the the biggest risk is simply losing your smarphone and having someone access all your sensitive and personal information on it. You are more likely to leave it somewhere outside like a car, taxi, club then have someone hack into your phone and steal your information. There a couple of things you should be doing to prevent theft and/or minimize the damage in case of theft:
Always backup your information.
Doesn’t matter if you are using Snap Secure or Desktop Manager or something else. You should be backing up your data on a regular and frequent basis.
Set a password for your phone.
This is probably the easiest way to secure your BlackBerry or Android phone, yet many people *think* their phone will never be stolen and never do it. Who cares if it’s annoying to unlock it every time…your data is worth it!
Be careful who you give/loan your phone to.
People who have physical access to your phone can easily install some type of spyware on your phone without you knowing it. Plus in these days, spyware can be pretty sneaky in terms of hiding itself from the unsuspecting user and monitoring your calls and data. For example the programs listed in the SnapSecurity –> Malware section are perfect examples of doing this. Snap Secure realizes that spy programs aren’t always used maliciously, but we want to provide the user the benefit of the doubt. Snap Secure’s Anti-Virus protection checks for these programs and provides a decision point for the user to remove these types of programs.
Download software from trustworthy vendors and reputable sites.
This might be an obvious tip, but you never know what vunerablities there are in the different mobile platforms that could be exploited with malicious software.
Tip 2. Get rid of spam and unwanted phone messages
Gotten email spam or unwanted before on your mobile phone? Chances are that you have and that it is very annoying. Here are some tips and advice on how to control spam and unwanted calls to give you a piece of mind:
How come I am getting spam? What did I do??
Always, always read a website’s terms and conditions carefully to make sure your email or number will not be used for marketing purposes. Many people not knowingly sign up for services and as a result get opted-in to receive text messages or emails. Also be wary of the free ringtone download sites that may harvest mobile numbers as well.
Prevent unsolicited calls to your mobile number
First thing you should do is register your mobile number with the U.S Federal Trade Commission’s Do Not Call Registry. This will help block spam phone calls.
But how do I block unknown numbers and emails that I do not know or specifically want to block?
Snap Secure’s Anti-Spam protection provides the ability for users to block unknown numbers and emails. A black-list can also be created and saved to block specific phone numbers and or emails. All this can be performed on the device as well. Also, you can check with your network service provider to see if they provide any methods of blocking incoming phone calls.
Tip 3. Using Bluetooth and Wireless
These days seems like every coffee shop or fast food place has free wifi. This is great if you are merely surfing the web with your mobile phone or checking email. However, if you doing anything sensitive such as checking a bank account, making credit card payments, or anything of that nature, it is recommended not to use the free wifi – you basically open your data up to being intercepted. Instead use your password-protected Wi-FI at home or cell data network to perform those sensitive tasks. With bluetooth, if your mobile phone can be discovered by another blue tooth device such as your headset, it can also be discovered by a device that can compromise or steal your data or plant a virus on your phone. The best thing to do is disable bluetooth when you are not using it.
