8 Ways to Protect Your Phone Data
from Hacker Attacks
Nowadays, Internet openness introduces various and enormous opportunities. Still, it also makes your devices a bit vulnerable. They may become a target for various hackers, criminals, and other offenders. Is this a reason to refuse to use the Internet? We don't think so. All basic tips on how to protect a phone from hackers are here.
Why Hackers May Hunt for Your Device?
Any device we have accustomed to use now stores an enormous amount of our personal data. Any mobile phone is associated now with convenience. It gives us free access to paying online, sharing photos and videos, making purchases, and doing many other things. These are a target for hackers and cybercriminals.
Criminals may do these with your mobile phone or another device:
- They may steal your ID.
- Hackers may access your mail and send phishing letters on your behalf.
- Utilize data for making ransomware attacks.
- Get inside your banking apps and steal your banking details or carry transactions on your behalf.
- Harm your reputation immensely because of carrying out unlawful activities on your social media account.
This is not exhaustive but a real list of things that may happen with your device. Easy solutions can protect the phone from hackers. Here are our suggestions:
1.Ensure You Apply Various Locking Settings
These options are basic for ensuring the elementary security of using your device. You may choose anything you find appropriate: fingertip or face recognitions, multi-digit passcode, passwords, and other come complicated security patterns.
2. Never Enjoy Public Wi-Fi Network
This experience can have a little common with enjoying at all. In fact, hackers hunt for their victims exactly there. If you like free Wi-Fi, you should be aware that this network is easy to detect and use for illegal activities. Man-in-the-middle (MitM) attacks are the most common here.
If you still need to use urgently some publicly available Wi-Fi network, we have something to suggest at this point. Applying a virtual private network (VPN) will help you in that. VPN for a phone may help you immensely. There many options to choose from. You may download VPN for Android or IOs you find appropriate. For instance, we can suggest to you one of these: check over here. VeePN Android app will be helpful with securing your data by its encryption. This will make you feel much safer about using publicly available Wi-Fi networks. It is quite easy to use and doesn't take too much of your time to install.
The best choice is using a tool that your acquaintance has recommended to you. This VPN will be more likely reliable for your using it also. In fact, there is nothing difficult in using it – only download and research how to use it intuitively. We just want to urge you to pay attention to pricing options. There are many free services, but they cannot ensure the same level of security as payable options. Still, many tools have a free trial. So, you can test whether a certain tool is good enough, how to use it, and pay for it later.
3. Security Software Installation May Be More Than Helpful
You may choose various types of software for protecting your devices from malware, worms, Trojan horses, and other malicious software. You may get one of them even when surfing through the Internet, downloading attachments and other folders.
Good security software scans and warns you about potential threats. It may also cure your device and remove such malicious tools outside. Typically most software of this type offers free features, but we again encourage you to choose some reliable software with moderate rates. This may ensure an extra level of protection.
4. Keep Your OS and Software Updated
It is important for the proper operation of your software and OS. Also, this enables all other software to work well. This helps to detect and cure all bags. So, if you see any updates available, never neglect to install such.
5. Be Wise about What You Install
You need to consider well before installing any app you find attractive. First of all, rely on trustworthy websites only. Never neglect reading through their policies. Also, when you download a certain app, make sure it doesn't trigger your OS. If it does so, it is better to find a good substitution for that. Also, make sure that your app doesn't have any excessive access to your info. If a certain app obviously doesn't require access, disable that feature.
6. Smartwatch Lost Notifications May Help You
These features of Apple and Android smartwatches may help you a lot. If the Bluetooth connection between your phone and watch is lost within approximately 100 meters, you instantly get a notification about that. This may help you take measures for securing your banking and other valuable personal detail more operatively.
7. Secure Yourself from SIM Swapping
Your cell phone number is usually tightened to your identity. What will you likely do if you have lost your phone? Probably, you will call your operator and ask to renew your phone number. So, you will get a new SIM with the same number. This sounds easy, isn't it? And this may become a potential opportunity for cybercriminals.
They may know certain pieces of your personal information, like the four last digits of your social security number, call your operator on your behalf, and ask to replace your phone number. They may easily get access to your banking and personal information this way. Also, they may get your passwords and complete unlawful transactions. For instance, they may complete any transaction on your behalf by getting a one-time password as a part of two-factor authentication (2FA) for your authorized bank.
You will simply lose an opportunity to get and make messages and calls. Other possible consequences are that hackers may access your social media accounts and perform any actions on your behalf.
So, it is not enough to use VPN for a phone only. Yes, we urge you again to download VPN for Android or IOs. But, any VPN Android app or for IOs cannot ensure 100% protection from all threats. So, getting extra protection is required. We suggest you installing additional applications, like Authy, Google Authenticator, or applying Google code-less authentication for ensuring an extra level of protection.
8. Keep Your Passwords Secured
It is not enough to take measures to protect your devices and arranging passwords. You need also prevent disclosing this info. Make sure you don't record this data elsewhere on an available device. Also, avoid using the same password for all devices you have. If you see difficulties with memorizing certain passwords, search for memorizing techniques.
As you may guess, it is better to prevent phone hacker attacks than to cope with their consequences. So, be careful, apply at least minimal security measures, and keep your data confidential.