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Writer's pictureAscentrix Consulting

How to protect your cell phone and avoid hacking?




What was once a worry for celebrities and VIPs, smartphone-hacking is now a concern for everyone. Indeed, the democratisation of mobile payment technologies has accelerated the apparition of new phishing techniques and even theft of mobile phone.


There are various preventative steps you may take to safeguard yourself from phone hacking, most of them require using common sense. There are also sophisticated techniques to make sure your phone is as safe as possible (without losing its full functionality).


For casual phone users, adhering to the basics is a great place to start when it comes to blocking simple hacking efforts:


Never leave your phone unattended.

Keeping your phone with you at all times while in a public place is the first, best rule to follow.


Change your phone’s default passcode.

Your phone likely comes with a simple, predictable default password, and those who know can use this to their advantage. Change your code to something more complex, and resist the usual "1234," "0000" and “2580” codes that are commonly used.


Manage your Bluetooth Security.

Avoid using unprotected Bluetooth networks and turn off your Bluetooth service when you aren’t using it.


Protect your PIN and Credit Card data.

Use a protected app to store PIN numbers and credit cards, or better yet, don’t store them in your phone at all.


If you’re still worried about hacking, there are further steps you can take to protect yourself. However, taking things too far will defeat the purpose of having a smartphone at all.


Avoid unsecured public WiFi.

Hackers often target important locations such as bank accounts via public WiFi that can often be unsecured due to relaxed safety standards or even none at all.


Turn off your autocomplete feature.

By doing this, you can prevent stored critical personal data from being accessed.


Regularly delete your browsing history, cookies, and cache.

Removing your virtual footprint is important in minimizing the amount of data that can be harvested by prying eyes.



These simple measures will help you protect your phone and avoid hacking. If you wish to learn more about the various types of hacking, you can enroll in our training program. Contact us if you wish to have more information.



Source:

https://www.webroot.com/us/en/resources/tips-articles/how-to-prevent-phone-hacking-and-sleep-like-a-baby-again

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