We live in a world becoming more and more dependent on cell phones. It's just a fact of life that without a cell phone of some sort, you are probably missing out on a lot of really cool stuff. That being said, with convenience comes vulnerability. The ability to check your bank account online, save passwords and personal information, even text chat with a friendcan put you at risk.
Most phone hacking isn't a British tabloid trying to listen to your voicemails; it's somebody that you know trying to invade your privacy. On one hand, this can be a disturbing because you want to trust the people around you. On the other hand, you probably don't hang out with super hackers. Either way, keeping your personal data secure should be a concern. You never know.
There are several things that you can do to keep your phone secure.
• 1. Hang on to your phone - While there are ways to access your phone remotely, the average person who is going to try to get into it doesn't know how to do that. Moreover, it will likely be a crime of opportunity, where they will see the phone and try to get in if you're not around. This is most common in people who want to read your text messages, like current partners and exes who are afraid that you're seeing somebody else. While it is inconvenient to always carry it around at home, at least keep track of where your phone is and certainly don't leave it unattended in public.
• 2. Change the default password - Most phones come with a lock of some sort, but a lot of people keep the password at 0000 or 1234 or whatever the factory settings are. This makes it easy to get into the phone, even for people who don't know you. Lock your phone and use a unique password to keep it secure.
• 3. Take care with Bluetooth - Bluetooth is an incredibly useful tool, but there's a reason why most phones make it easy to turn on and off. While most people will not attempt to access your phone remotely, if you're worried that somebody might, turn off your Bluetooth unless you're actively using it. And like the lock screen mentioned above, be sure to change the default password, which even fewer people do.
• 4. Guard your pin numbers - There are apps that are designed to securely store things like pin numbers or credit card information on your phone. If you think you will need this sort of information available to you, then you should absolutely use one of these apps. The better solution, however, is to simply not store these things on your phone at all.
Those are some basic ways that you can avoid losing any personal information should somebody decide to try and hack your phone. There are more extreme ways as well, but be warned that taking these too far will eliminate any convenience you actually get from your cell phone.
• 1. Don't use public networks for private business - If you need to access your bank account, don't use a public WiFi to do so. If you're logging into an important website, don't do so over a network you can't trust. Most home networks are secure, but in order for a public network to work, it has to be easily accessed. That means your data could be at risk.
• 2. Turn off autocomplete - Sure, it can be really helpful if you type certain things a lot, but it also means that the things you type the most are stored on your phone for hackers to see. This will mean more typing, but fewer people being able to know what you did type.
• 3. Delete your history - If you use your phone's browser, it's a good idea to regularly delete the browser history, as well as cookies and the cache. It will take webpages longer to load, but at least somebody can't see where you've been.
These are just some simple tips to keeping prying eyes away from your phone. You carry your life around in these little devices. Protect them accordingly.
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Mike Thomas is a writer for www.homewarrantydeals.com. Visit his site, for more information on protecting yourself from costly expenses.
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