3 Mobile Phone Security Tips: How to Protect Your Devices

Hey, Jessica Naziri here and today I’m giving away free cupcakes. Okay, fine. That’s not what I’m here to do, but I do want to tell you that not all deals are sweet as they seem. And in honor of cybersecurity month, I’m partnering up with CompTIA to let you in on some sweet safety tips that you can use all year round.

There is no manual that comes with your phone, tablet or laptop that’ll teach you mobile security. But if you follow along with these three tips and tricks for mobile phone security, plus bonus takeaways at the end, you’ll be an IT expert in no time.

Basic Phone Security

Before you even ask yourself, “Am I securely using my phone?” Well, make sure you password protect your device. Lock your phone when it’s not in use. Even if a malicious attacker cannot get into your phone, they can try to get the sensitive data stored inside, including contacts, places visited and emails.

Imagine how readily accessible all that info is to a person on the street who picks up your phone. Set the security setting to lock after two to three minutes. And if someone keeps trying to login with failed attempts, make sure it wipes the phone clean.

Wi-Fi Safety

Okay, on to Wi-Fi. Yes, Wi-Fi should be a human basic right, but always think twice before connecting to public Wi-Fi. And it’s not just consumers that criminals target; with the rise of smartphone and tablets in the workplace, hackers attempt to attack enterprises through vulnerability in mobile devices. Don’t use unencrypted Wi-Fi networks for connecting to company servers, and avoid doing online banking at Starbucks. We’ve even seen attackers that have fake wireless networks that trick you to join their free network.

Don’t be Scammer Bait

Click with caution. Scammers feed on your curiosity by serving up links to things like free software, lavish vacations, free gift cards and other too good to be true deals, which leads me to fishing. Don’t take the bait. Identify fake email addresses. A legit email domain will match the URL for the organization’s website. Look at what comes after the at sign. Safe: @chase.com. Unsafe: at @chasebank.com. Ask yourself, “Does the URL make sense?” Use the same strategy to identify fake websites that you would to identify fake email addresses.

For example, safe: chase.com/creditcardoffer.

Unsafe: chase.com.ru/creditcardoffer.

Okay, so what happens if you accidentally click a malicious link?

• Change your password immediately.
• Next, contact the organization that was spoofed.
• Watch out for warning signs of identity theft.
• File a report with the FTC and protect yourself against future phishing schemes.
• Be sure to always keep your device’s software to protect you from threats.
• Also, consider multifactor authentication as a step to verify who you are through a text for many of your accounts.

So, there you have it. Three helpful tips that you should always keep in mind. How many did you score? Leave a comment below and let us know how you’re practicing safety.

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