It would be a shame to ruin the joy of a new gift right at the beginning. If Santa Claus fell for himself this year and brought you a mobile phone, don’t forget to secure it from viruses, hackers and reluctant roommates right now. It’s not that hard. Here are 5 principles for keeping all wreckers away from your body, for both iPhone and Android. Deliberately, do you know them all?
1. Lock the display
Always first a fingerprint, Face ID, touch gesture or PIN , only then can you start doing something with your mobile phone. The screen lock is the absolute basis so that someone else does not scratch your mobile phone when you go to the toilet. Or so that a potential thief does not gain access to your photos, profiles on social networks and other private data. These can have a much greater value than the “iron” itself.
TIP: Learn what to do if you lose your phone or steal it .
2. Download apps only from Google Play and the App Store
Download as much as you want to your new mobile phone, if it is from official sources. IPhone owners are better off, they can’t suck apps from anywhere else. But you can download anything to Android , just click one check box in the settings. For example, a regular virus or a Trojan horse that will send fraudulent text messages to fraudsters in internet banking.
In Google Play and the App Store, all applications are under scrutiny, and only in exceptional cases does a dangerous application appear in them.
3. Set up automatic updates
Once a security hole appears in an application, and this can happen, exploiting it is a big challenge for hackers. To shine in front of other hackers, but mainly to make good money on it. Instead, application developers must program a security patch as soon as possible and release it as part of the update . Those who do not have automatic updates set up are the first to hit for hackers.
Make sure your updates are set up correctly, that is, they’ll be downloaded as soon as they’re released (or as soon as you connect to Wi-Fi):
- Android: Google Play Apps> Settings> Automatic Updates
- Apple iOS: Settings> (your name)> iTunes and App Store> App Updates
4. Install an antivirus application
Antiviruses are released not only for computers, but also for mobile phones. Finally,A smart phone is nothing but a small computer. It is especially suitable for anyone who does not deal with security as much and unknowingly violates a security principle here and there. Antivir then monitors everything for you and notifies you when you are about to download a suspicious file to your mobile phone or connect to an unsecured Wi-Fi.
Even high-quality antiviruses are free, you just have to put up with some advertising. We recommend installing only applications from well-known and well-rated manufacturers.
5. Grant permissions only to those applications that deserve it
It is definitely not true that when installing a new application, you must immediately click on all the permissions it wants. On the contrary. Believe that, for example, the Flashlight definitely does not need access to your location or your SMS messages. Only grant permission if you get a clear explanation of why it is necessary.
Pay special attention to the permit if you receive, for example, confirmation SMS codes from the bank and payment gateways on your mobile phone. In this case, if possible, do not allow applications to access the SMS. Or start using the Smart key application , which will save you the rewriting of SMS codes.
