10 ways to protect your smartphone

For those of us who own a smartphone, we often do not realise how much personal and sensitive information it contains about our lives. Although we might no longer be able to imagine a world without our Blackberry, iPhone, or Android device, we might not be taking the necessary steps to safeguard it…

As we become ever more reliant on mobile phones in our personal and professional lives, smartphones, such as Blackberrys, iPhones, and those using the Android platform, are being increasingly subject to hacking and a broad range of other threats.  To some extent we give little thought to how secure the information we store on our phone is, unless it is stolen or has been compromised in some way. Discussed below are some ways you can better protect your smartphone and its contents.

1.  Activate PIN. Although the capability to lock mobile phones is a standard feature on most devices, it is seldom used. The PIN, which is usually four digits long, can be the first line of protection from unauthorised access, especially if the device is lost or stolen. However, since there are ways to quickly crack such a short code, it should be supplemented by other measures.

2.  Be wary of unsolicited messages, emails and dodgy web links. Mobile phones are increasingly being subject to unsolicited text messages, which could be spam or phishing. Smartphones are also at risk from corrupt email attachments and suspicious web links, similar to PCs. Hence, the discrimination that is exercised to manage emails and connect to websites on a PC, must be applied when using smartphones.

3.  Turn off Bluetooth when not in use. Active Bluetooth connectivity can leave smartphones open to spying, to receiving unsolicited messages and even to hacking.  Phones are especially vulnerable to Bluetooth attacks when a PIN has not been activated. Although it is a standard feature on most phones, it is advisable to turn it off when is not required. Further, turning off Bluetooth can result in another distinct benefit: it can significantly extend battery life on some phones.

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