The Five Best Ways To Protect Your Phone from Being Hacked
Hacking is becoming quite rampant in this day and age. Nobody is immune to hacking, this means that it can happen to you when you least expect. May be you have been asking yourself, can someone hack my phone? The truth is yes, it can happen to you. This is why you need to take the necessary precautions to prevent your phone from being hacked. You see, when a hacker hacks into your phone, you risk losing your data, your privacy, and even your peace of mind. And who would want to lose all these at once, nobody! Here are some of the precautions that you can take to prevent your phone from being hacked.
1. Keep your operating system up-to-date
Installing software updates immediately they become accessible is one of the best ways to protect your phone from hackers. Updating the software can be tiring, but it is worth it because these updates enable your phone to keep working efficiently and provide you with the best security.
Most of the hackers usually take advantage of the vulnerable operating systems [out-of-date systems], so regular updates amend the vulnerabilities and make your phone more secure.
2. Be careful with what you install
Usually, when you install an app on your smartphone, you are asked to grant it permissions such as to access and read your files or access your camera. There are reasons for asking you this because they can expose you to abuse so you must think before you approve the request. This especially applies to Android users.
3. Make it harder for hackers to gain access
If a hacker gains access to your phone, the damages can be severe. Ensure that you lock your phone when you are not using it. Android phones can be set to require a five-digit passcode. These phones can also offer other alternatives too such as facial recognition and fingerprints. These methods may not be perfect because a hacker might copy your fingerprints from anywhere or take a photograph of you. And you should also be careful with features of smart lock which can unlock your phone when your smartwatch is near or when you are at home.
4. Review what is already on your phone
Apps on your phone can be safe when you downloaded them, but with frequent updates, they can turn into something risky. This is why you should take some few minutes to review all the apps on your smartphones, and see the permissions that they use. With Android phones, it can be hard to get an overview of the apps that have permissions, but there are several security apps that can help including free packages from Avast and McAfee.
5. Lock individual apps
A strong password helps to keep hackers away from your phone. But a stranger can snatch your phone while you are using it or borrow it to check a website then do the unthinkable. So to protect your phone, you should lock individual apps so that even if somebody gets past your lock screen, they can’t open some of your essential apps.