Mobile Security Tips: Best Practices To Follow
The smartphone is a vital part of our life. Earlier people used to communicate with pigeons. Then came the time of postal letters, then landline and as the years passed by, the technology has moved to smartphones. You cannot imagine your daily life without mobile. There are so many tasks you can complete with the mobile such as paying bills, ordering food and many more. But yes, there is also a disadvantage. Like computers and laptops, even your mobile can also get hacked. Since your smart mobile contains information regarding the bank and other monetary sources, it has become a favorite hackable device for cybercriminals. They can hack your mobile by various methods. Mobile device security is one of the most important problems in today’s world. In this article let us focus on mobile security tips and best practices to follow to prevent criminal activity in the mobile.
Few of the most occurred mobile security threats are-
A- Information leakage-
Your children may have installed an app from a third-party store for playing a game or any other activity. Whenever you do the same, the app asks for certain permission of entering your details. And without proper knowledge, even your children could have allowed those permissions. Once your children have allowed access, the information inside your phone is at risk. Even if it is a trusted app, the data inside your device can now become accessible to the specified company. It is mandatory for every parent to check their mobile phone if their children tend to play games on the device. And if they have downloaded a new game, ensure that you check the credentials. As for the adults, you need to always read the terms, conditions of any app and give a proper background check. This data of your mobile can get used in many ways to make you lose the hard-earned money. The hacker can also gain access to your social media accounts and spread unworthy information. So, you need to ensure checking of your mobile at least once a week. This is one of the best mobile security tips if you have children in home.
B – Unknown Wi-fi
If you can save your cellular data and use someones else Wi-fi, then you are the happiest person alive. But, do you know that free Wi-fi is the most unsecured network? There are chances, your mobile phone can get compromised. People use public Wi-fi networks for banking and credit card transactions. These allow the cybercriminals to hack into the frame of your bank and extract valuable information. So, make sure you stay away from unknown free Wi-fi networks. If there is no other alternative, use a VPN for accessing the internet. Another best mobile security tip for keeping the device secure.
C – Spoofing-
It is a criminal process where hackers take the identity of another person to make you give confidential information. The methods they use, you can categorize them to different types. You can become spoofed by email, phone calls or SMS. So, before opening an email or receiving a phone call, ensure that it is from a trusted source.
Email Spoofing –
In this method, the attacker makes use of email messages to trick you. He/she will make you believe that the info has come from a trusted or reputable source. For example, you have recently joined as a finance executive in a top home repair services company which offers mobile phone repair in Mumbai. There are also freelance executives in your company. The responsibility of sending payments to these executives is given to you. There are times when you receive an email from the vendors of the company.
You get the bank account details of the vendor from the email and then transfer the money via online. One day, you receive an email from a reputable vendor of your company, stating that the bank details have changed. The content in the email asks you to transfer money to another bank which has an entirely different name. You become suspicious and check the mail with patience. That is, when you find, the contact email address of the reputed company differs in spelling. In other words, it is a phishing email meant to trick you to sending money. You did not transfer the money. This is called email spoofing. In case you receive email from a source and want to access via your mobile, ensure to check the from address and spelling with patience. This is one of the best mobile security tips given by online software experts.
There are times when an email can contain attachments infected with malware or have links. These links will lead you to malicious websites.
Caller ID Spoofing
In this method, the cybercriminals will call from a number that will bear a resemblance to a trusted source. Or the number will give you the impression that you are speaking to a person from a foreign country. If you attend the call, the hacker will speak as the executive from a bank, NGO or customer support person from a reputed company. They will trick you to giving sensitive information such as account information, social security numbers and many more.
Spoofing of Websites
Let us explain the title with a simple example. You are freelance professional offering services for a reputed company offering washing machine repair in Pune. One day, you receive an SMS on your mobile stating that you have won an award from a reputed bank. The SMS also has a link that takes you to the reputed bank’s website. When you click the link, the website opens. But when you check with patience, you find the website is fake but is designed similar to the online presence of the bank. So, if you had entered the login details of the bank, the hacker will have gained the information and siphoned off the money.
D – Mobile Security Tips – Prevent Phishing-
It is one among the many fraudulent attempts made by hackers to gain information regarding the bank details. They act like they are a trusted source and try to extract information. The main reason for you being falling into the trap of phishing is because of curiosity. In today’s date, hackers use social media as a bait to catch unsuspecting victims. Sometimes, you may get an email from an account which looks almost genuine. But it is the hackers who have made a duplicate email account. They will ask you to transfer a certain amount immediately. You will transfer the money without thinking as the mail looks quite genuine to you. These type of frauds are occurring every day, in every part of the world.
Now, there are some practices to prevent identity theft in mobile. To prevent identity theft in the mobile, you can follow these methods –
I – Mobile Security Tips – Regular updates-
Always make sure that you continually update your phone and the security apps. This helps in the improvement of security and reduces the chances of hacking. If you update the phone, it means the most recent security updates are on your phone. Do you know that the hackers use bots to check the vulnerabilities in a website? Similarly, they come to know about the weaknesses of every security software program in mobiles. You can call them as patches. Now, the security software company releases updates which do not contain the patches. If you have an outdated software program on your mobile, then it can get hacked.
II – Mobile Security Tips – Follow a Procedure during downloading of apps.
When you download an app, always make sure that the service provider is trustworthy. Always look out for Google verified apps, so that the risk gets eliminated. Try downloading the app from Google Playstore because it contains the best security features. An app which has malware present can never remain in Google Playstore. On the other hand, some cheap apps ask you to download from third-party apps and give access. Stay away from those as it might be a trap for extracting your personal information.
III – No Unwanted Browsing-
There are some websites which offer unwanted videos or content. It is better to not browse these online sites. The reason, malware can enter to your mobile. When you try to access these websites, the security feature in your mobile will block them. If you still proceed, then the personal data will be at risk.
IV – Mobile Security Tips – Sim Card Lock
Always lock your sim card with a PIN. There is no access for others if you ever lose your phone. The personal information in the sim card is very valuable for hackers. They can use it for criminal purposes.
V – Enable FYP –
FYP stands for Find Your Phone. It is a feature generally available in most smartphones. This feature allows you to track your phone if you lose or misplace the device. Enabling this feature prevents you from identity theft.
VI – Avoid Public Wi-fi –
There are chances, you may have to go on travel or attend business meetings for your company. In such situations, the internet may not work on your mobile. So, you will have to make use of public WiFi. Ensure you follow the best practices such as VPN to do tasks.
Conclusion
These are some best practices you can do to prevent identity theft in mobile. But can you follow them at all times? You can, but in a home with children, it is a difficult task. Your children love to watch videos, play games, and there are chances spyware may get downloaded on the mobile. So, what should you do in such situations? If you come to know the presence, then you can check if the mobile security software program is updated to the recent version. If the spyware is still present, then you need to hire a mobile security expert to solve the problem. But where will you search for the best pro?
Example
You are a Pune resident, and the mobile has suffered a virus attack. The mobile has also crossed the warranty period. The next step is to hire a pro.
What is the best method? Check the app of the best company offering repair professionals for home appliances in the city. Go through the services and hire the best pro offering services for mobile phone repair in Pune. He will come to your home and solve the problem. The greatest advantage is you can schedule the repair time as per your need.
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