With the great convenience brought about by mobile devices, the booming stats of phone users – from roughly 1.5 billion since 2014 to an expected hike of 2.5 billion in 2019 – is not surprising anymore.
On the other hand, what seems to be a surprise is the issue of cyber threat which appears to be escalating altogether with the hiking popularity of the customary use of smartphones by the general public. Such attacks have been carried out since people can access the internet through their mobile devices via browsers and different kinds of apps and, at the same time, they entrust these apps to keep their information such as passwords, credit card or bank account information, or even confidential records. Consequently, what cyber perpetrators do is that they deliberately take advantage of these kinds of information and use them for their own benefit via identity theft, hacking, cyber-scamming, and exploitation of viruses and malware, to name a few.
Today, the strategies being used by cyber criminals have also developed through time and the fact that, according to a survey done by National Cyber Security Alliance, more than half of the respondents’ stats prove their lack of knowledge about mobile phone security, only makes it easier for cybercrimes to manifest.
So, it’s best to consider some few noteworthy tips that can help you stay off cybercrime’s way as much as possible:
1. Keep OS up to date – Mobile providers don’t simply provide OS update alerts so as to bug you. No. They have more important stuff to do than that. In fact, these updates are really for your own benefit, since updates are essentially continuous efforts done by mobile providers not only to improve a smartphone’s OS performance but also to employ corrections to security vulnerabilities. Failing to update your smartphone’s OS could actually become an entry point of cyber attack.
2. Responsible Clicking and Downloading – When we become too familiar with the use of internet on smartphones, some of us can become impatient to wait even for the second as far as clicking on links or downloading sought data is concerned. Bear in mind that downloading data from untrusted sites or clicking links from unknown emails can really pose a threat to your personal data as they might be carrying malware, spyware or viruses. It’s best to always look things up on Google just to be sure.
3. Data Back Up – Backing up your files is like preparing for the worst-case scenarios such as having your phone damaged, stolen or lost. Retrieving important data, apps, and information won’t be a part of the problem since you got your stuff secured on your online drive. Thus, you’ll have lesser things to feel bad and worry about.
4. Choose the best Mobile Security for your phone – There are many security applications for your phone out there but you must choose wisely which is best. The most important thing to do before you opt for a security app is to do extensive research about it. Look up for articles from reliable sources and legit websites. Read reviews about it and learn which one among the many is the most suitable and safest one to use for your smartphone.
