Key Takeaways
- Cybercrime is increasing day by day, making it more pivotal for phone users to stay alert and guard their phones from every threat.
- Opposed to apps and smaller system updates, major firmware updates demand for consent of the user.
- A VPN is a great cybersecurity tool that encrypts your network connection to hide your location and data.
- To enhance the security of your privacy on your mobile, make sure to remove unnecessary online presence.
Did you know? Mobile cyberattacks have been on the rise, with a 50% increase in 2023 compared to the previous year. (Source)
In recent times, we have witnessed so many hacker attacks and system wreckage that now it has become a global issue.
However, the major emerging source of data breaches and other malicious activities is none other than our mobile phones.
People usually seem careless regarding their smart device security, but when the doom happens, they all face so many losses.
That’s why, to eradicate this concern, this blog post aims to provide some advanced security approaches that every user should consider following.
Let’s begin!
Most apps and system components update automatically, but major firmware updates require user consent. Rather than leaving them in digital limbo until it’s convenient to restart the device, you should apply such updates immediately.
On the one hand, this ensures the phone has the most recent security updates, protecting low-level services like the bootloader from severe and persistent threats. On the other hand, new firmware can optimize the phone’s performance or introduce useful features.
Whether by your Internet Service Provider (ISP), advertisers, or – god forbid – hackers, tracking your web activity is inevitable if you don’t take countermeasures. One way they keep tabs on you is by analyzing your DNS requests. It takes little work to find out which websites you visit if your DNS requests are out in the open.
Secure DNS services encrypt your DNS requests, effectively preventing others from tracking your online whereabouts. Your ISP might still see a spike in data usage once you land on a new page, but neither they nor anyone else can tell where you are.
Encrypting your DNS requests is a good start, but it doesn’t provide the kind of protection that having an active VPN does. The VPN will encrypt your entire connection, meaning any files you send, data apps exchange, and information you type into apps or browsers remain inaccessible to snoops. Additionally, some VPNs offer scam and fraud alerts, which warn you about dangerous websites and potential threats before you click on them.
This is even more important if you often use public Wi-Fi networks since they’re not secure, and hackers can easily set up convincing copies. VPNs ensure you don’t become the victim of man-in-the-middle attacks while masking your IP address just as effectively.
Fun Fact
The first reported mobile phone security threat was Cabir, which was a worm discovered in 2004 that infected Symbian 60 OS.(Source: Retail Dive)
SMS was once the cornerstone of mobile communication. Now it’s an outdated relic that more often than not poses a security risk. Messages sent over it have no end-to-end encryption, meaning it’s much easier to intercept and read them by other parties than just the sender and receiver.
For iPhone users, there’s no need to worry, though. iMessage has recently extended its encryption to all messages. However, Android owners, who haven’t already done so, should ditch SMS and embrace one of the many popular encrypted messaging apps available for download. If only your friends could all agree on using the same one.
“But wait,” you say, “doesn’t that mean authentication messages I receive through SMS are at risk?” Yes, yes, it does. SMS is the least secure form of authentication, so switch to others if possible. Biometrics are effective, and you can double up by using fingerprints and face recognition. Just make sure a photo can’t fool the latter.
Alternatively, double down on 2FA security by tying authentication to a hardware key. This lets you plug the key into the phone’s USB port or use NFC to complete the process. You do have to take care not to lose the key, but it’s definitely more secure than SMS.
All apps need to access some of your smartphone’s functions. However, there are some red flags that you should consider when giving out certain permissions. For example, a calculator has no business accessing your images, nor does a banking app need to read your SMS messages. Yet, that’s exactly what happened to users who downloaded fake banking apps that stole their SMS activation codes.
Scrutinize every app on your phone for a mismatch between its supposed capabilities and permissions. Additionally, keep an eye on and delete any apps that arouse suspicion.
Even if you’re meticulous about what you share online, unwanted information you never willingly release could be out there. For example, you might have tied your phone number to a service that has since suffered a data breach. That phone number could now be in the hands of data brokers happy to package it with thousands of others and sell it to as many annoying scammers or telemarketers as they want.
It’s impossible to account for and deal with all these brokers yourself. Luckily, data removal services make it their business to intervene on your behalf. Just give the go-ahead, and they’ll petition the data brokers to remove your number and anything else they have on you. This reduces the risk of targeted attacks, increases privacy, and prevents the situation from escalating through data resale.
Look up online reviews about different data removal services and check discussions like Incogni pricing to find services that offer the best protection at reasonable rates.
The infographic image below represents data on the total population and their online active presence.
Remember that your phone has the most private information about you, and protecting it isn’t as complicated as you might think. Don’t wait for a security breach to happen. Start using the seven safety measures we provided right away, and you’ll have peace of mind knowing that your online life is safer.
Ans: With growing cybercrimes, it has become pivotal to guard your phone from every threat, such as identity theft, financial data, and overall privacy
Ans: DNS security is a helpful approach in guarding the DNS infrastructure from cyber attacks to keep it performing quickly and reliably.
Ans: A VPN stands for virtual private network, which typically provides an encrypted route to access a website, acting as a safer system to protect mobile devices.
Ans: Yes, reducing unwanted online presence is considered necessary for the privacy and security of both personal and professional.
