How To Prevent Your Mobile Apps From Cyber Attack?

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Everybody uses mobile devices these days. You generally use your device to stay connected, check emails, text a friend, use social media, surf net, and even read the news. You cannot imagine life without a smartphone. With that hackers have also moved from PCs to your smartphone for deriving information. You might think it’s only limited to your financial information but it’s much more they can derive personal data, sensitive data images, emails, etc which can be used against you.

It has become easier to hack into mobile phones, emails, and even social networking apps. Though there are more malware for PC and not for mobile so if you take some steps you can secure your account.

We spend more and more time on our phones and it makes it even more important to protect your data. There are apps on play store which helps keep your phone clean and running an keeping it private. If you want to get one step ahead there are companies that develop apps specifically to protect smartphones from cyber attacks.

What is cybercrime?

Any illegal activity done online using technology is considered a cybercrime. Cybercriminals target networks, devices, systems. It can include harassment, publishing your data online, cryptojacking, cyberbullying, keylogging, etc

How to Save Your Mobile Device from a Cyber Attack?

• Install a full internet security system – There are plenty of mobile apps for your phone. 

 They detect malware, scan phone for any phishing, check VPN connections and also help if your phone gets lost. 

•  Use strong passwords – When you create a new account you are asked to add more symbols, characters, lower case, and upper case letters to your password. All of this makes it harder for the hacker to break into your system and apps.
• Manage your social media settings – Personal information is easily available on social media these days. As harmless as it seems sharing too much information about yourself on the media can come and bite you. Make sure you do not share important information like your address, vacation spots, phone number, credit card pictures, etc.
• Update your software – Make sure you update your device with the latest operating and security system.
• Use many lock screens – with modern technology, there are multiple ways to lock your phone. Things like a fingerprint scanner, face recognition, etc provide better security than pin or password. Your fingerprint is far more complex makes it harder for anyone to crack and is a smarter way to lock your phone.

Though you will still have to use a backup password just in case if you can’t use your fingerprint for some reason, make sure you make it strong but rememberable because you don’t have to use it often.

• Check what apps you are installing – Apps are developed by third parties. You cannot always trust an app just because you downloaded it from the play store or apple store. Every store has it’s share of fraud apps that track your device. Whenever you download an app it always asks for access and permission for different things, so do your research and only download a legitimate app.
• Turn off your location – It’s easy to use google map or other tracking apps and forget to turn off your location. GPS is common in most devices and that also means it’s prone to attack. Other apps can use your GPS to spy on you and might steal your personal data.
• Install an MDM – An MDM(Mobile data management device). it’s a device used by IT companies to secure mobile app data. It creates an end to end encryption system for your devices, network and everything else on your device.
• Bluetooth and WiFi – hackers leave their wifi open so when you connect to the wifi, IP address and MAC address from the wifi are registered in your device which helps the hacker to attack your phone. Hacking by Bluetooth is called ‘bluesnarfing’. Bluetooth hackers can use it to make phone-based payments, download texts, pictures, data from your device. Make sure you turn off your Bluetooth and Wifi when not using it an check before setting up a connection. 
• Check apps linked with your bank or card – Check the apps that have your financial data and make sure there is no extra purchase done from your account.

Cybersecurity is on the rise. Our world is more technologically reliant now than ever, it’s always better to be safe than sorry. Accepting the fact that you are a tech geek is the first step to taking suitable measures to protect privacy and save your phone and online world from possible attackers.