Why is it so important to protect your smartphone

Very often we hear that smartphones do not have enough security. It does not matter whether it's a bug in iOS or lack of protection for passwords - the security of smartphones is not considered a serious matter. A should be considered, because in a smartphone, you can learn about the owner of everything, literally, all his life.

Your whole life is on your phone

If you lose your phone, who has found it can find a lot of information about you in just one minute. For example, your home address in Google Maps, bank account mailbox. Attackers can change all passwords, if you have access to your e-mail, can go to your Dropbox and find anything.

Even if you are using a two-step authentication (login input password and a special code that comes to your phone number), it does not help you, because hackers will access to the passwords, and phone.

How can this happen

With your phone in your hand or even with remote access to it, the other person will be able to get some very important information about you. How can this happen? In different ways: the application can spread your data over a public network, hackers can attack your phone in a public Wi-Fi networks or you may just accidentally leave your phone to the party, and the stranger, picked it up, you know about the valuable mountain information.

Typically, users will see a big difference between your computer and your phone: they care about protect your computer, but do not worry that someone might attack their phone, and do not see here any danger.

A recent Apple bug allowed hackers to get all the protected data using the open points Wi-Fi in public areas, and users could not even suspect it.

Sounds a bit paranoid, but just enough of a hacker in a coffee shop, so you have lost your password or money in the bank. And because your phone is always with you anywhere, the data much easier to download with him than with a computer.

How to strengthen the security of your phone

Of course, you are unlikely to give up your smartphone, but you can at least strengthen his defense.

First of all, it is necessary to observe the basic rules:

• Stay away from public Wi-Fi networks;
• do not download unofficial versions of popular applications;
• Avoid applications that require access, unnecessary functionality;
• Observe the usual precautions against spam and unreliable links;

And here's a few tips for safety:

Get rid of your home address

If you use Google Maps, most likely, you have saved your home and work addresses. Erase this information, and anyone who finds or hack your phone can not find the address so simple. If you have contacts with their information on the phone, erase them, too.

Install software against theft

If someone steals your phone, first of all you need to do so that no one could use it. Programs Apple Find My iPhone or Google Device Manager - good options to get started. You can also use other applications for locking and tracking phone. The main thing - to have time to put them before someone steals your phone.

Use a secure password manager

It is tempting to keep your passwords with features like iCloud Keychain for iOS and Chrome on Android, which allow you to store sensitive information directly in your browser, but in terms of security, they terrible. If you need access to your passwords on the go, you can use password managers.

Do not save passwords in applications

Of course, it is easier to save passwords in applications, such as banking, but not worth the hassle. You will have to enter them each time, but your confidential information will not be the first person who took the phone.

Sorry, your e-mail is automatically entered, so that anyone can simply change the password on your account. For greater security, you can leave the email account every time cease to work with him.

Use the lock screen

Even despite the fact that the lock is easy to get around, it's worth it to install. On the iPhone do more long code, rather than a short pin, and on Android, you can set up a secret lock screen.

See what agree

We downloaded the app and not looking agrees to provide access to all data. People really just spit on their safety in this matter. If you do not agree each time to read and parse all the permits, once a month is worth to walk on installed applications and make sure that the application has only the permissions for you We agree.

Encrypt your private data in the cloud

If you use the application of cloud services like Dropbox, through which you can get private data, be sure to use encryption. You do not have to encrypt everything, only the personal information that you can use, such as tax returns or scans of documents. This is a very simple and useful, once made, and you can not worry about sensitive information. On Android, you can also encrypt the information on the phone, though it's a bit slow operation.

Make sure that your phone has not been easy to use

If you make a custom lock screen, remove the application icon or erase their names, and remove all the default application, your phone will be, to put it mildly, awkward to use. Of course, this does not protect you from hacker attack, but if your phone will select a user, he will not be able to find sensitive information.

Always update software

A recent Apple security bug has been fixed, and all those who in time to update the software, can use the smart phone without the risk of hacker attack.

It is equally important to set the access code, to enable remote wipe and keep a backup of your phone. Remember: if you now do not take care about the safety of the smartphone, the next bug or a simple distraction can open your information to hackers.

What harm do you get from it, decide for yourself.