Keeping your mobile device free of malware is an important side of securing your data and privacy. The other side is what can be done to secure the device if it falls into the wrong hands.
For our 100 days of security, we’ll share tips on securing your device.
Remote Wipe Have the ability to remotely wipe your device if lost or stolen is great for these worst case scenarios.
Smartphone thefts have increased multiple times over in the last couple of years, to the point where some states are looking to enforce carriers to offer a kill switches that will disable the phone.
Android and iOS devices come with native lost device protection, we suggest setting up one of these or you can find some pretty good ones in your favorite app store.
An important element to the remote wipe is taking the time to backup your device, images contacts and important data.
Mobile operating systems do come with backup software like iCloud or Google Backup.
Locking device
Lost or stolen devices significantly increase your risk or identity theft. Enabling built locking features such as PIN codes and passwords are a great first line of defense to keep unwanted access to device blocked.
Open WiFi
Using safe practices when accessing free WiFi hotspots can keep your data secure. We suggest not logging into any secure websites while connected to a free hotspot.
Encryption
Having your data encrypted is additional layer of protection if your device falls into the wrong hands.
The latest versions of iOS and Android now have encryption enabled out of the box, but if you’re still running one of the older versions you could still enable some form of encryption for your data. There are also third-party encryption apps available in the app stores.
Taking these additional steps to secure your mobile computing might be inconvenient at first but taking a proactive approach with security will benefit you in the long run–even if it’s just a piece of mind.
