10 Golden Rules to Keep Your Smartphone Safe | Total Security Software

Smartphones are our daily companions. We make phone calls, chat, take photos and make transfers with our "small" devices. Our complete digital identity is stored on this one device. It is therefore all the more important to protect this storage location properly. We have put together 10 golden rules that make your smartphone safe. 

1. Lock the Screen

You think that the screen lock is a matter of course, unfortunately no. In a world where the password “123456” is the most commonly used, we need to revisit this point. Of course, it is always annoying to have to enter a complex password with special characters before using the smartphone, but even that is no longer needed almost everywhere these days. Modern smartphones offer you the option of setting up your fingerprint or facial recognition. This will take a maximum of 30 seconds of your time and you can check the first rule.

2. Backups

We have a lot of memories on our devices that we don't want to lose. Unfortunately, a backup is rarely carried out or it is negligently postponed until tomorrow. However, so-called ransomware attacks, from which you can hardly protect yourself, are increasing significantly today. But even if your cell phone is stolen or lost, a backup saves all of your memories.

3. Only Use Official App Stores

Of course, it's tempting not to have to pay anything for an app. However, this creates avoidable risks for your device. In official stores, all apps have to go through an approval process and a strict security check, but not in unofficial stores. There is a high probability that you can download malware onto your smartphone by downloading an app from an unofficial store.

4. Use a Password Manager

We all know that using the same password is not safe. Despite everything, we do this again and again. Nowadays we don't even have to remember all passwords because there are so-called password managers. They automatically create secure and complex passwords for us and fill out login windows automatically. The only thing that we have to remember is the master password for the password manager, which must be complex and cannot be used anywhere else!

Examples of popular password managers are:

·          LastPass

·          1Password

·          Keepass

5. Activate Two-Factor Authentication

I know the two-factor authentication (2FA) can be annoying, especially if you have to log in again at the beginning of your working day or on your mobile phone. However, it protects you enormously! You enter your password in the first step and in the second you either get:

·          the code will be sent to your stored email or to your mobile phone number

·          or you use an app that generates a new code every few seconds

In most cases, you can state your device as trustworthy and save the code for 30 days.

6. Check the App Permissions

Not all apps need access to your microphone, your location, or your camera. Because what does your flashlight app need access to your location or microphone for? Right - namely not at all!

Therefore, when installing an app, pay attention to the authorizations and reduce them to the minimum.

You can then check the authorizations in the app settings and revoke them if necessary.

7. Be Prepared for Phishing Attacks

Usually, a click on a link in an SMS or email is enough and you are already falling into the trap. In the next step, you are often asked to change the password or enter the login data. Again, you can best protect yourself against this with two-factor authentication. You can read more about such attacks in our article on spear phishing.

8. Perform Updates Regularly

Security updates don't come out of IOS or Apple for no reason. Of course, they don't point us directly to potential security vulnerabilities, but they are primarily designed by experts to address them. To install updates as soon as they hit the market!

9. Reset Your Smartphone to Factory Settings as Soon as You Want to Sell It

Actually, there isn't much left to say. To protect your own privacy, you should remove all data on your device. When buying a second-hand device, you should also pay attention to a few points, which you can find out here.

10. Surf with VPN, Especially in Public WiFi

Public WiFi in cafés and train stations is practical, but also very dangerous at the same time. Because everyone can read your data traffic.

The solution for this is a VPN app, which ensures that you surf anonymously and thus ward off attacks.

A few examples of such VPN apps are:

·          Private tunnels / OpenVPN

·          Express VPN

Take the help of total security software to secure data.