4 Practical Ways To Prevent Phone Hacking
Traditionally a headache reserved for celebrities, smartphone-hacking concerns have crossed the VIP red rope to plague the rest of the world. We have recently seen a surge of leaked documents from high profile intelligence organisations and powerful countries to even your neighbourhood yoga instructor, no one is immune to phone hacking attacks.
Below is a list of four practical ways to prevent phone hacking. Whether they come from opportunist thieves or state-sponsored spies we’ve got you covered.
Update your system
When it comes to protecting yourself against phone hacking, step one is always to install software updates as soon as they become available. The sheer frequency of these updates, coupled with worries about how much space they will take up, and concerns about the impact they may have on a phone’s battery performance often deter people from downloading them.
These updates, however, often protect against newly discovered threats and vulnerabilities – keeping your phone safe. Block hackers from accessing your personal information and other important details you don’t want others to see by updating your system frequently.
Furthermore using unofficial tools to ‘root’ your phone (jailbreaking) is not the best option, given that, on rooted phones, technological safeguards can be defeated – allowing apps to perform all sorts of snoopy functions.
Keep a password and tracking system
If a thief gets physical access to your phone, they can cause all sorts of trouble. For a start, your email app probably contains a trove of personal information. Make sure your phone is locked when not in use: both Android and iOS can be set to require a six-digit passcode.
Your device may offer other options too, like fingerprints or facial recognition. Such methods aren’t perfect – a really determined hacker could copy your fingerprints from a drinking glass, or trick a camera with a photograph of you – but they’re a lot better than nothing.
Plan ahead, so even if your phone is stolen, you know your data is safe. One option is to set your phone to automatically erase itself after a certain number of incorrect attempts to enter your passcode. If that seems a bit much, don’t forget that both Apple and Google operate “find my device” services that can locate your phone on a map, and remotely lock or erase it
Be aware of free WiFi
Free wifi sounds like a good deal because you don’t have to pay for Internet usage. However, when you’re utilising free wifi, refrain from checking important details regarding your bank account and passport information. Don’t be an easy target for phone hacking by openly sharing your personal information.
Save your information and keep it private – make things difficult for hackers to access.
If you’re at all doubtful about a wireless network, don’t connect – stick with your phone’s mobile internet connection. You could also use a VPN tool to route your traffic through a private encrypted channel, so even if someone is monitoring your traffic they won’t be able to see what you’re up to.
Can you really stop phone hacking?
No matter how cautious you are, you can’t completely eradicate the danger of phone hacking– not unless you refuse to install any apps or visit any websites. What you can do is supplement your on-device security measures with an online service.
LogDog, which is available for both Android and iOS, is an app that monitors your identity on sites such as Gmail, Dropbox, and Facebook. It alerts you to suspicious activity, such as logins from unfamiliar places, giving you a chance to step in and change your credentials before serious harm can be done.
Other applications with similar functions are available and they scan your email and highlight messages containing sensitive data such as credit card details and passwords, which you can then purge to ensure they don’t fall into the wrong hands.
For more information on how to protect your phone in this day and age, visit Boxedtech.
