How to Protect Your Data on Mobile Devices
According to a 2017 survey done by the Pew Research Center, 28 percent of smartphone owners do not use a lock screen or other security tools to lock their phones. That's almost 1/3 of smartphone users, who leave their devices vulnerable.
This article will help you keep your mobile phones safe. These are the top 5 methods of securing your smartphone.
Table of Contents
Use a strong password
Obviously, a good password is paramount to the security of any device, not just your phone. A strong password needs to be both long and complex, which means at least 8 digits and different types of characters (upper and lower case letters, symbols, numbers, etc) to be safe from dictionary-style attacks and brute force tactics.
If you have trouble with creating a strong and reliable password you can install a Password Manager with a built-in password generator.
Back up your phone data
Anything can happen. That's why it's wise to back up your phone's data on the cloud or through some external device. You can keep your backup on a USB flash drive, for example. That way even if you fall prey to a data breach or something happens to your phone you can always restore it through your backup.
Disable location services for pictures.
You can maintain some of your privacy (as much as that's possible in the digital age) by turning off geotagging on your smart phone's camera and photos.
Geotagging means the exact location of your picture is embedded in the photo's data. Apple and Android do this by default. Disable it by searching for location services in your smartphone's settings. Disable location services on other apps as well, unless you need it.
Enable “Find My Phone”
Modern smartphones running either the Apple and Android OS have built-in detection software. With this software, you can locate your phone if it's missing or misplaced, play a sound on your phone, and even remotely delete all of your personal data from the device.
Use HIYA
Hiya is a Seattle-based firm that offers caller ID to help consumers identify incoming calls and block unwanted ones. That way you can block prank callers, bots, and any other undesirable calls.
