Everyone's Invited To The Phone Safety Party: A blog about the importance of phone safety. August 31, 2022

Nowadays, mobile phones are relevant in our personal and professional lives. It’s the first device we reach for in the morning to check what lies ahead: emails, social media, calls, and even the weather. But, it’s easy to forget that our smartphones are just small computers. And that means we need to put the same effort into protecting our mobile phones as we do with our PCs and laptops.

It’s good to think about how to protect your cell phone from hackers and thieves, you ought to be vigilant about how you use your gadgets. More than the cost of having your smartphone repaired, you must be aware of the problems that may arise if your device gets hacked or robbed, people will get easy access to your personal information.

To keep you and your smartphone safe, here are 6 tips to enjoy your smartphone while still protecting your privacy.

Tips to help you navigate your device in a secure way #

1. Secure your mobile against loss and theft #

You need to be one step ahead to avoid bad scenarios, either in case of theft or hacking. The first security measure that people seem to disregard is locking their phones, giving anyone complete access to their personal information. To prevent a bad experience, we recommend you have a lock on your screen. Whether this is a passcode, pattern, fingerprint, or face recognition is up to you and your device’s capabilities.

In addition, when enabling a lock screen, you’ll have the choice to decide how long the phone can be idle before locking. Be sure to choose the shortest amount of time.

Also, do not forget to set strong passwords on your apps to make it harder for a hacker to guess them. We suggest you set a different password for each app. This way, if one password is discovered, the hacker won’t have access to all your information.

You may want to read: Teaching Kids How to Stay Safe Online: 5 basic safety tips you should teach your child

If you’re serious about your security, you may also change your passwords regularly for all your apps.

2. Keep an eye out for scams and phishing #

Other important precautions to keep in mind are scams and phishing on your phone, either by SMS message or email. Any link you receive should be looked at with a suspicious eye. If you’re not sure why a company’s asking you for information, contact them in another way, through their website or social media channels to ask before you give out any personal details.

3.Connect to Secure Wifi #

One of the first things we do at a restaurant or friend’s house is search for Wi-Fi. While free connection can save us on data, it’s important to be wary of insecure networks.

Many hackers offer free Wi-Fi to lure their victims. Cybercriminals may install malware into your device, access your bank account and other financial-related apps, or even steal your identity to apply for loans or perform other criminal activities in your name.

To stay safe while using public Wi-Fi, be sure to connect to a virtual private network or VPN. Changing your virtual network will protect your location and keep your information from prying eyes. On the other end, keep your Wi-fi secure to prevent others from accessing your network.

You can also read: Can You See Me Now? A blog about taking care of your digital footprint

Other tips to keep in mind:

• Never do online shopping or internet banking on free Wi-Fi.
• If you need to check your email, make sure you have two-factor authentication set up first.
• Turn off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on your phone while you’re not using them.

4.Be smart with your apps #

If you are constantly buying and downloading different apps, make sure to download them from the official app stores and check reviews; apps that are available from third-party sellers may not be legitimate and could contain viruses.

Don't forget to check the permissions and settings on all your apps. Be careful that they don’t have access to any other features on your phone that you’re not comfortable with. For example, you might want Facebook to be able to access your photo library, but your weather app probably doesn’t need to.

5.Keep Your Device’s OS Up-To-Date #

Remember criminals will always find a backdoor to get into operating systems. So, to protect the users, device manufacturers frequently offer updates to patch up the flaws in their software.

Every time you’re alerted to a software update for your mobile phone, install it as soon as possible. As you see, updates aren’t just about adding new features, they’re also about fixing vulnerabilities that attackers could find and use to gain access to your system.

To check if your phone’s OS is up to date, go to “about phone” or “general” and click “system updates” or “software update.”

6.Back up your mobile data #

Since you have all your relevant information on your mobile, one of the most important things you can do is back up the data in safe digital storage.

HelpYouFind.Me can help you with this task, you won’t lose access to any of your information, even if your phone is lost or stolen. In a few words, HelpYouFind.Me is a secure, yet simple, way to share private data for use in emergencies. All data is end-to-end encrypted and accessible only by you and the people you choose to share it with.

You will be able to enter as much data as would be useful in the event you're unable to access this data and/or be reached. Think of things like banking information, cell phone accounts, credit card credentials, any special instructions for accessing physical items, etc.

Again, all of this data is encrypted inside your web browser, on your computer, and HelpYouFind.Me can not see it. Ever.

Enjoy your smartphone worry-free! #

There is no reason you shouldn’t enjoy the fun and convenience of smartphones. Any new technology requires a new lesson in safety. Just remember these tips, and you can confidently enjoy the excitement of today’s newest tools.

Let us know in the comments if you put into practice any of these tips, and feel free to share another one that is not on the list.

Ready to dive in? Start your free trial today.

Sign up for free

Written by

Vanessa Martínez