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Best Mobile Security Tips

Believe it or not, many cybercriminals target smartphones. Hackers like them because they can quickly and easily infect them with all sorts of malware. They can even use these mobile devices to listen to your phone calls, and thus get access to important business and/or personal information, which can then be used for commercial purposes and to blackmail people.

However, most cyber villains will target your phone because they want to steal your money. This can be done through mobile ransomware attacks, or by getting access to your online banking account information. Here's what you need to do to stay safe.

1. Keep your phone's operating system updated

No matter if your smartphone runs iOS or Android, each operating system update has the potential to boost device security and performance. I have said that it "has the potential" to do so, because some software updates went awry, introducing serious security issues. However, the OS makers have quickly fixed the problems.

Resist the temptation to root your phone. Yes, you will get access to a few more useful features: the ability to purchase and run other applications, the option of choosing the services that are offered by your preferred cellular network provider, and so on. But once that you have jailbroken your smartphone, you won't be able to patch it quickly, and this will make it vulnerable to malware attacks.

Unfortunately, even some legit phone owners, who have never jailbroken their phones, need to wait a lot of time to get new updates in comparison with Google's Pixel phone owners, for example. So, do your due diligence and purchase smartphones from companies which are dedicated to keeping their customers happy in the long run.

2. Always install apps from the official stores

Yes, third-party stores may offer expensive commercial apps for free, and they may even give you access to exclusive applications. However, the apps downloaded from these stores may (and probably will) include viruses.

With the official app stores, each piece of software is carefully inspected. This doesn't mean that malware-loaded apps won't ever make their way into official stores, but the risks are much lower, and those dodgy apps will be removed as soon as they are discovered.

3. Set a strong lock screen password

Very few people use decent security mechanisms to protect their phones, and this makes it very easy for people who steal or find your lost phone to get access to all its data. So, create and use a strong pass which includes a random mixture of characters and special symbols, and then use it in conjunction with one of the biometric security features which are available in most modern phones.

4. Stay away from public Wi-Fi networks

It is very tempting to connect to a free hotspot, especially when you are away from home. However, some hackers create free hotspots in publicly available areas, giving them enticing names such as "free-airport-wifi", or "coffeeshop ". People who connect their devices to these networks will risk the integrity of their data, of course. All the shared data will be available to the hacker immediately, and by exploiting other OS and app vulnerabilities, the cyber villain will often be able to take full control over the device.

Things don't look much better for hotspots that have been set up by legitimate business owners either. If the hacker manages to take over the network, all the clients that connect to it will be in grave danger. So, make sure to stay away from public Wi-Fi, even if this means paying a few extra dollars for mobile data services.

5. Install virus and malware detection apps

While most of us choose good security solutions for our computers and laptops, very few of us do the same for mobile devices. And this is a pity, because mobile security suites are inexpensive and will bring their users peace of mind.

Be sure to keep an eye on your favorite app store; some antivirus makers sell lifetime licenses of their products every now and then, so you could be set up for life by paying a relatively modest upfront fee.