We love our smartphones more than even ourselves, but somebody else also does love them and they are those cybercriminals. Hence, it is essential to protect your smartphone from hackers in order to save our data, pictures and bank and email account details. Isn’t it?
8 Ways to Secure or Protect Your Smartphone From Hackers
Smartphones have become an inseparable part of our lives and people like me are completely addicted to them. But, do you guys know that these immensely important pocket computers we use are always at the threat of hackers? Yes, you heard it right, we make use of the internet while using our phones, owing to which our cell phones become susceptible to attacks by viruses and hackers, who are waiting to cash on a little negligence from our side. But, if you keep your phone secured as well as protected from them, then you beat them anyways. If you ask me, then the ways to secure your mobile phone from hackers are quite simple and if practiced on a regular basis, then you can use your smartphone freely without any fear of losing data or any information to these hackers. Check out 8 Ways to Secure Your Phone: how to protect your smartphone from hackers.
1. How to secure a smartphone: Software Update is a mandate
To properly securing your android phone or to secure your iPhone then updating your software on a regular basis is a mandate for every smartphone user and if you are an iPhone user like me then you ought to update it on a regular basis. While it keeps your phone updated with the latest features, it is also one of the effective way to have the security updates and patches from the update. So, next time when you get a notification of software update, you better update your phone first to secure your phone.
Steps to update phone software to secure your smartphone:
How to secure your iPhone
- Go to Settings-General-Software update.
- Check for update, if any and update your smartphone software.
How to secure your Android phones
- Go to Settings-About Device
- Click on Install updates if any and update your phone
- Note: Software update requires a WIFI connection, ensure that you are connected to one while updating the software.
2. secure your smartphone by Backup phone data
The next important step to secure your android or iPhone is to backup your data. See this step, which many people neglect helps at the time when your phone data might be lost owing to software hack or any other reason. Backing up of data thus helps to preserve your important documents and pictures.
Steps to Backup your data:
How to secure your Android Phones
- Select – Settings – Personal – Backup and reset. Ensure that you choose both the options of Backup my data and Automatic restore.
- Again, go to your mobile Settings – Personal – Accounts & Sync, and then select your Google account.
- Make sure that you tick on all the listed option boxes listed so that it syncs all of the available data.
How to secure your iPhones
- Go to your Apple account in the Settings menu and select your device option, present at the bottom.
- Here, there is an iCloud back up option, turn it on for automatic backup of your data to your iCloud account.
3. secure your phone by not using public WIFI’s
Now, we humans love free things and love to use the free internet we get whenever we have access to a free public WIFI. But, do you guys know that the free WIFI comes with viruses and is one of the best ways for hackers to hack your phone. So, next time you want to protect your smartphone from hackers, then you better not dare to use those free WIFI options.
How to know if a public WIFI network is risky connection?
It has no security password as authentic WIFI connections are always protected by passwords.
Download authentic apps
Now downloading many apps is a sheer mistake we do especially when our phone has got a lot of space. But, this another mistake and makes your phone susceptible to viruses and hackers. Hence, it is essential to check if the app is authentic, reviews about it and then download in order to protect your smartphone from hackers.
Steps to find if an app is authentic to download
- Check the description and technical aspects of the app to see if it is compatible with your device.
- Ratings and amount of downloads.
- And the reviews section to know the opinion of people who have downloaded the app.
4. secure Your phone by antivirus protection
Now your smartphone is consistently using internet facility owing to which it is open to threats from viruses. Hence, just like our computer, we have to download an antivirus software to protect our cell phone from hackers and viruses they send. Apart from downloading a good antivirus software, regular scans and cleaning of unwanted space in the phone help to make it further secure from cyber bullies. Download and install a good antivirus to secure your phone.
Avast Mobile Security is best for android while McAfee is for the iPhone and iOS users.
Download here: Google Play | App Store
5. secure your phone by scanning mail attachments
Now, we have a habit to download attachments on our mail as they are in a hurry to meet deadlines but doing so we literally play with the security of our smartphones. Sending viruses through emails is another weapon of those hackers, who are waiting for us to download them. Hence, to secure your smartphone from hackers and viruses, it is essential that you scan the mail attachments for viruses and then download them to protect your smartphone from hackers.
How to scan mail attachments?
- Major mailing accounts like Gmail have an inbuilt email attachment scan option to check for viruses.
- Ensure that you do not download the attachments without getting them scanned.
- Besides, an anti-virus scan of the already downloaded attachments, prior to opening th also works.
6. Secure accounts with a password
The use of secure passwords for each of your accounts be it online or offline apps protect them from hacking and viruses. I know it sounds weird to have a password for each app or account, but it really helps to secure them and thus your smartphone.
For android phone, you can secure your passwords with the 1Password app and for iPhone, you can use August Home app.
Download here: Google Play | App Store
7. secure your phone by Home Screen lock
According to me, you should never keep a smartphone open i.e. without having any home screen lock. This is because cell phones without home screen lock are one of the easiest to hack as the home screen is not locked. Also, this gives access to even people around you to check your phone or use any detail in your absence. So, always protect your cell phone from hackers by mandatorily putting a home screen lock to it.
While Android phones can be secured with the App Lock app, for iPhone, one can go for the Secret Folder App Lock.
Download here: Google Play| App Store
8. Secure your phone by Two-factor authentication of online accounts
Secure your phone by Two-factor authentication of online accounts keeps hackers at bay. It is a simple step that requires two passwords, one your personal and the other you receive by text. This step protects your cell phone from hackers as online accounts are another doorway for them to enter your phone. Also, it protects your important documents and emails.
How to secure your iPhone
- Go to Settings -your name – Password & Security
- Turn on the two-factor verification option there.
How to secure your Android Phone
- Go to Google – Sign in – Security
- After entering google password, you will get a prompt to add your mobile number.
- Google will send you a verification code once you add your number.
- Add the code and save changes
- In future, logging from other pc will require you to provide the OTP sent on your saved mobile number.
So, these were my simple but effective steps one must surely follow to protect your smartphone from hackers and viruses. Remember, your smartphone needs a smart protection also so keep it safe.
