Smartphones have come a long way, so has the
extent of security and privacy issues related to
them. We are now increasingly dependent upon
smartphones for more than just making that all-
important call or send out that text.
Since you do so many things on it, the
smartphones are very personal devices with a
lot of personal data on them. This means they
are also a massive privacy risk. Your data can
be leaked by apps through internet or someone
can have a glimpse of it while you are showing
an interesting image to a friend on your phone.
So how can you minimise the privacy risk?
To tell you the truth, there is no such thing as
100 per cent privacy while using a smartphone.
But, if you remember certain important tips
and tricks, and follow them right, chances are
that you could at least reach a 75 per cent,
maybe more. And, that's a significant margin in
the online world.
Here are 10 key tips and tricks to improve
smartphone security:
1. All important security pin/
password/pattern anything
This is one of the most primary steps to ensure
your smartphone is locked for anyone but you, at
all times. However, as basic as it may seem, most
people are too lazy to set it up. Setting up a screen
lock is very important, as is setting it up right.
Make sure your pin/password is not lame enough
as say, a 1234 so that anyone can crack it in first
go. At the same time, don't make it so confusing
that even you don't remember it. It's totally your
call.
Ideally, you should select a combination of
numbers and alphabets.
In addition, set your screen lock time
somewhere between 1-5 minutes of non-use.
That said this is not a full-proof plan to secure
your smartphone. Those with some technical
know-how can unlock your phone in a few
steps. But it's the very basic that you could do,
and so you must.
2. Every phone now has a free
tracking/wiping service. Use it!
Every smartphone OS, whether it be Android, iOS,
BlackBerry or Windows Phone comes with some
kind of remote tracking and wiping tool. Android
phones have what you call a Device Manager,
while iPhones come with Find My iPhone and so
on.
Essentially, these tools/services come into play
when your phone is lost/misplaced or stolen.
Using these tools, you can remotely lock, track,
and even wipe your phone data using a
computer and Internet. The trick here is to
have these tools up and running on your
smartphones at all times.
3. Download some kind of file
lock app
There has to be something on your smartphone,
whether it be a chat, a picture or anything for that
matter, that you would want to save from prying
eyes at all times, even from close ones. There may
be some apps that you don't want others using
your phone to access.
A file lock app comes handy in such situations.
There are many good ones available in app stores.
Download and install them, then password
protect the data that you wish to hide. Only
you or someone who has the password can
then access them.
4. Set up a Guest Mode/Parental
Lock on your phone
Android 5.0 Lollipop and iOS 8, the latest iterations
from Google and Apple come with something called
as Guest Mode. Basically, the trick is to restrict
access to the content on your Android/iOS
smartphone when you're giving it to somebody.
Using the Guest Mode, you can create a
separate user profile on your smartphone and
assign it with the apps and content that you
deem fit to be accessed by someone else. Once
you have this profile up and running, next time
you hand over your phone to someone you
simply have to enable Guest Mode and he/she
will gain access to this profile, hiding all the
other stuff.
The normal profile will be password protected
and cannot be accessed until it is typed in right.
5. Update your Smartphone
software regularly
Software developers release periodic updates to
their software, improving upon an already existing
version. These improvements include security and
stability updates as well.
Therefore, as and when updates (no matter
how big or small) come up for your OS, for
instance, make sure you update it, and have
latest version running on your smartphone at
all times.
It's more important from a security point of
view, since these updates may have some fix
for some security issue that might be plaguing
an earlier version. Also, software developers
tend to push out fixes to security bugs (as and
when something is detected) therefore it is
highly advisable to update your phones
periodically.
6. Beware of installing apps
from untrusted sources
Android smartphones have something called an
Unknown Sources option in security settings.
Checking it allows you to install third-party apps
from sources other than Google's official Play
Store. You don't have such an option in the iPhone,
and you need to jailbreak it if you want to install
third-party apps.
Ideally, you mustn't do either of these. Always
install apps from trusted sources, meaning the
Google Play Store and the iTunes Store. Apps
therein meet the desired standards of official
safety and security. Everything else is just
calling for unnecessary trouble.
7.Keep your location settings in
check
Every smartphone now comes with a built-in GPS
or location tracking feature. Essentially, these keep
your apps and services like
Google Maps and others live and active at all
times. While, it may seem convenient to have your
location settings open for such apps, even others
like Facebook, Twitter etc, there may come a time
when you don't want others to know where you
are.
But more than anything, you wouldn't want
your apps to know where you are, at all times.
It is possible to individually allow/deny apps to
ascertain your location. You can control your
location settings, even shut it off completely.
8. Public Wi-Fi is dangerous,
avoid it
Public Wi-Fi, or the Wi-Fi you get at places like
some restaurant, coffee shop or whatever is the
breeding ground for some of the most dangerous
cyber attacks.
Miscreants who have good technical know-how
tend to use these networks to push man in the
middle attacks. Basically, using some cyber
sorcery, hackers can gain access to your
smartphone (in the event you're connected to
the public Wi-Fi network) and can do a lot
many dangerous things, ranging from gaining
your online passwords, to getting access to
your confidential bank records. While you
must refrain from using the smartphone for
sensitive dealings, the truth is we are doing it a
lot these days.
Therefore, the one way to ensure your security
is to avoid public Wi-Fi networks.
9. Turn off Wi-Fi/Bluetooth
when not in use
Many people have their Wi-Fi on at most
times. As and when some Wi-Fi network
becomes open, they like to have it up and
running on their smartphone to save on their
data charges. It's not safe to do this.
Also, having your Bluetooth on when you don't
need it is also calling for trouble.
Hackers may use an available connection on
your phone to access your files. Therefore,
have these on only when you need to.
10. Backup your data
This is more the precautionary step in the event
your smartphone does get lost or stolen. Have a
backup of all your data/contacts/documents etc
ready at all times. Ideally, you should have it in
some physical drive, but saving it up in the cloud
is also a handy option.
extent of security and privacy issues related to
them. We are now increasingly dependent upon
smartphones for more than just making that all-
important call or send out that text.
Since you do so many things on it, the
smartphones are very personal devices with a
lot of personal data on them. This means they
are also a massive privacy risk. Your data can
be leaked by apps through internet or someone
can have a glimpse of it while you are showing
an interesting image to a friend on your phone.
So how can you minimise the privacy risk?
To tell you the truth, there is no such thing as
100 per cent privacy while using a smartphone.
But, if you remember certain important tips
and tricks, and follow them right, chances are
that you could at least reach a 75 per cent,
maybe more. And, that's a significant margin in
the online world.
Here are 10 key tips and tricks to improve
smartphone security:
1. All important security pin/
password/pattern anything
This is one of the most primary steps to ensure
your smartphone is locked for anyone but you, at
all times. However, as basic as it may seem, most
people are too lazy to set it up. Setting up a screen
lock is very important, as is setting it up right.
Make sure your pin/password is not lame enough
as say, a 1234 so that anyone can crack it in first
go. At the same time, don't make it so confusing
that even you don't remember it. It's totally your
call.
Ideally, you should select a combination of
numbers and alphabets.
In addition, set your screen lock time
somewhere between 1-5 minutes of non-use.
That said this is not a full-proof plan to secure
your smartphone. Those with some technical
know-how can unlock your phone in a few
steps. But it's the very basic that you could do,
and so you must.
2. Every phone now has a free
tracking/wiping service. Use it!
Every smartphone OS, whether it be Android, iOS,
BlackBerry or Windows Phone comes with some
kind of remote tracking and wiping tool. Android
phones have what you call a Device Manager,
while iPhones come with Find My iPhone and so
on.
Essentially, these tools/services come into play
when your phone is lost/misplaced or stolen.
Using these tools, you can remotely lock, track,
and even wipe your phone data using a
computer and Internet. The trick here is to
have these tools up and running on your
smartphones at all times.
3. Download some kind of file
lock app
There has to be something on your smartphone,
whether it be a chat, a picture or anything for that
matter, that you would want to save from prying
eyes at all times, even from close ones. There may
be some apps that you don't want others using
your phone to access.
A file lock app comes handy in such situations.
There are many good ones available in app stores.
Download and install them, then password
protect the data that you wish to hide. Only
you or someone who has the password can
then access them.
4. Set up a Guest Mode/Parental
Lock on your phone
Android 5.0 Lollipop and iOS 8, the latest iterations
from Google and Apple come with something called
as Guest Mode. Basically, the trick is to restrict
access to the content on your Android/iOS
smartphone when you're giving it to somebody.
Using the Guest Mode, you can create a
separate user profile on your smartphone and
assign it with the apps and content that you
deem fit to be accessed by someone else. Once
you have this profile up and running, next time
you hand over your phone to someone you
simply have to enable Guest Mode and he/she
will gain access to this profile, hiding all the
other stuff.
The normal profile will be password protected
and cannot be accessed until it is typed in right.
5. Update your Smartphone
software regularly
Software developers release periodic updates to
their software, improving upon an already existing
version. These improvements include security and
stability updates as well.
Therefore, as and when updates (no matter
how big or small) come up for your OS, for
instance, make sure you update it, and have
latest version running on your smartphone at
all times.
It's more important from a security point of
view, since these updates may have some fix
for some security issue that might be plaguing
an earlier version. Also, software developers
tend to push out fixes to security bugs (as and
when something is detected) therefore it is
highly advisable to update your phones
periodically.
6. Beware of installing apps
from untrusted sources
Android smartphones have something called an
Unknown Sources option in security settings.
Checking it allows you to install third-party apps
from sources other than Google's official Play
Store. You don't have such an option in the iPhone,
and you need to jailbreak it if you want to install
third-party apps.
Ideally, you mustn't do either of these. Always
install apps from trusted sources, meaning the
Google Play Store and the iTunes Store. Apps
therein meet the desired standards of official
safety and security. Everything else is just
calling for unnecessary trouble.
7.Keep your location settings in
check
Every smartphone now comes with a built-in GPS
or location tracking feature. Essentially, these keep
your apps and services like
Google Maps and others live and active at all
times. While, it may seem convenient to have your
location settings open for such apps, even others
like Facebook, Twitter etc, there may come a time
when you don't want others to know where you
are.
But more than anything, you wouldn't want
your apps to know where you are, at all times.
It is possible to individually allow/deny apps to
ascertain your location. You can control your
location settings, even shut it off completely.
8. Public Wi-Fi is dangerous,
avoid it
Public Wi-Fi, or the Wi-Fi you get at places like
some restaurant, coffee shop or whatever is the
breeding ground for some of the most dangerous
cyber attacks.
Miscreants who have good technical know-how
tend to use these networks to push man in the
middle attacks. Basically, using some cyber
sorcery, hackers can gain access to your
smartphone (in the event you're connected to
the public Wi-Fi network) and can do a lot
many dangerous things, ranging from gaining
your online passwords, to getting access to
your confidential bank records. While you
must refrain from using the smartphone for
sensitive dealings, the truth is we are doing it a
lot these days.
Therefore, the one way to ensure your security
is to avoid public Wi-Fi networks.
9. Turn off Wi-Fi/Bluetooth
when not in use
Many people have their Wi-Fi on at most
times. As and when some Wi-Fi network
becomes open, they like to have it up and
running on their smartphone to save on their
data charges. It's not safe to do this.
Also, having your Bluetooth on when you don't
need it is also calling for trouble.
Hackers may use an available connection on
your phone to access your files. Therefore,
have these on only when you need to.
10. Backup your data
This is more the precautionary step in the event
your smartphone does get lost or stolen. Have a
backup of all your data/contacts/documents etc
ready at all times. Ideally, you should have it in
some physical drive, but saving it up in the cloud
is also a handy option.
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