{"id":1331,"date":"2020-08-10T14:10:45","date_gmt":"2020-08-10T14:10:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/blog\/?p=1331"},"modified":"2021-09-30T11:21:56","modified_gmt":"2021-09-30T11:21:56","slug":"how-to-protect-your-phone-from-hackers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/blog\/how-to-protect-your-phone-from-hackers\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Tips: How to Protect Your Phone from Hackers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

RSA<\/a> data shows that 70% of fraud transactions come from mobile devices \u2014 here are seven simple ways that you can keep your phone safe from hackers and other criminals<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Phones are an integral part of our lives. Results from reviews.org<\/a> survey show that 75.4% of respondents feel that they\u2019re addicted to their phones. Furthermore, nearly two-thirds of respondents reported checking their phones up to 160 times per day<\/strong>! Now, we\u2019re not here to judge anyone\u2019s mobile addictions, but we do want to help you understand how to protect your phone from hackers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re wondering \u201chow to block hackers from my phone,” or what you\u2019ve come to the right place. In this article, we\u2019ll cover seven easy-to-follow tips that will help you to protect your phone from hackers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

7 Tips: How to Protect Your Phone From Hackers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

1) Install Security Software Tools on Your Mobile Device<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Antivirus software and anti-malware software are not limited to computers only. You should use them on your mobile phones as well to protect your phone from hackers. When you surf online, different types of malware<\/a> (like viruses, trojan horses, worms, etc.) can be installed on your device via malware-loaded websites. Your device also might get infected through malicious email attachments or apps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Security software not only detects and removes malware but also can warn you when you visit a bad site or download a malicious app. Some malware gets downloaded on your mobile without your notice. A good security program scans and notifies you every time something downloads to your device.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With “freemium” security software, typically the basic service is free. If you want to tighten the security and need more features, you can upgrade them to a commercial service. You should check the advantages and disadvantages<\/a> of both free and paid versions to determine the best solution for your device.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

2) Be Judicious About What You Download and Install on Your Phone<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Not everything is as it appears. Be vigilant when installing apps or downloading images, videos, files, songs, email attachments, etc. from the internet. There are a few general rules of thumb to follow when downloading content from the internet:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Only Download Files from Well-Known, Reputable Websites<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Scan all the files with your antivirus and antimalware programs before downloading them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do Your Homework<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re installing a new or unknown app, research the app publishers and read the customer reviews online. 70% of mobile fraud<\/a> originates from malicious apps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3) Check Your App Permissions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When you install an app, it will likely request access to some integral features of the device, such as a camera, email, contact list, photo gallery, location, etc. Carefully review each of those features and ask yourself, “does this app really need to access this particular feature”? For example, if you\u2019re installing a food delivery app, it likely needs access to location tracking. But there\u2019s likely no reason why it should require access to your email clients, phonebooks, files, and camera. Disallow!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s how you can check the permissions for all your installed mobile apps:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For iPhone:<\/strong> Go to Settings<\/strong> > Privacy<\/strong>. You will see a list of all the device features. Click on that specific feature to see which apps have permission to access it. You can turn off the permission from that screen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Screenshot
This screenshot shows how to check app permissions from an iPhone device.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

For Android:<\/strong> Go to Settings<\/strong> > Permission Manager<\/strong>*. You will get the list of the feature and the apps which have permissions to access those apps. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

*Note: All the Android phones have different names for the permission checking tab. It depends on which brand\u2019s phone you are using.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4) Avoid Using Public Wi-Fi (Or Use a Virtual Private Network If You Do)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Hackers can exploit insecure connections to eavesdrop and steal the data from connected devices. It\u2019s is one type of man-in-the-middle<\/a> (MitM) attack. So, for our next tip on how to protect your phone from hackers: avoid using public Wi-Fi (in airports, malls, hotels, shops, cafes, etc.). Use cellular network data instead. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Make sure when you use a mobile hotspot, you keep it password protected to keep it secure. But what if you don’t have an abundance of cellular data? Then don’t do your professional work or access websites where you need to provide any confidential or sensitive information until you can use a secure connection. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you do have to use public Wi-Fi, you can reduce your risk by using a virtual private network (VPN). They are many free or inexpensive VPN providers available to choose from. One of the many benefits VPNs provide is that the VPN passes on the web-traffic via a private encrypted channel. Hence, even if someone has broken the internet connection and intercepting your traffic, they won’t be able to read, interpret, and modify anything due to VPN’s encryption facility. You just need to install the VPN app and turn it on at the time of using the public Wi-Fi. It’s quite simple to use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5) Protect Yourself from SIM Swapping<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

SIM swapping occurs when a bad guy calls your mobile service provider and asks for a replacement SIM card. This unauthorized SIM swapping is possible when a hacker has acc<\/a>e<\/a>ss to some of your confidential information<\/a> (such as the last four digits of your social security number, or any identity proof document) and uses it as part of their social engineering scam.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If they\u2019re successful in convincing your mobile provider to port your number, the attacker can intercept all your phone calls, SMS text messages, and potentially gain access to all accounts and services that are linked to your phone number. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pro Tip<\/strong>: To protect yourself from unauthorized SIM swapping or number porting, set up a unique PIN or passcode with your mobile service provider. This would be a number that only you know that you have to use to access or make changes to your mobile account (including number\/account porting to other devices).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can also use apps like Google Authenticator<\/a>, Authy<\/a>, or Google\u2019s code-less authentication<\/a> method to add another layer of security. Apple\u2019s two-step verification feature can send an OTP to a registered device (rather than to the phone number) whenever someone tries to log in from a new device. This adds an additional layer of non-SMS-based MFA security to your device.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In other words, even if the perpetrator inserts a replacement SIM card into a new device, they still can\u2019t activate it until they provide the OTP, which iOS sends only to your (registered) device or to another phone number linked\/connected to your primary phone number. You can also set an app-specific password, so no one can open your apps without providing those passwords.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6) Keep Your Tracking and Remote Locking Settings On<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

At this stage, we assume that you\u2019ve enabled your mobile\u2019s lock screen feature with a multi-digit passcode, face\/fingerprint recognition, or a complicated pattern. This is particularly helpful if you lose your phone or if a thief has gotten their hands on your device. But if you think that your screen lock will make it impossible for thieves to misuse your phone, you\u2019re not aware of the tricks<\/a> hackers can use to bypass the phone’s initial security mechanism. There are ways to bypass even fingerprint lock<\/a> and facial recognition<\/a> security mechanisms!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is where the ability to remotely lock your device is essential. This is the first step in protecting your phone from hackers or anyone, really, who shouldn\u2019t have access to your device. Fortunately, virtually all the phone providers offer Find My Device<\/strong> and remote lock<\/strong> functionalities. You just need to install those apps (if they don\u2019t come pre-installed on your device) and register your device.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, you can use the Google Find My Device<\/a> app for Android phones and Find My iPhone<\/a> for Apple phones. To enable these apps, choose your type of device below and follow these easy directions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n