How To Protect Your Mobile Devices
Every year, an obscene number of mobile devices are stolen and lost; however, the exact number of devices suffering from these fates is up for debate. We casually leave our phones and tablets in shopping carts, public restrooms, and on top of restaurant tables. Sometimes they grow legs and jump right out of our handbags, pockets, and purses. Whether it’s the result of theft or carelessness, the disappearance of our mobile devices poses a huge concern. Not only is it becoming more and more expensive to replace a device, but there’s also the chance of identity theft if one ends up in the wrong hands. To avoid these rather unpleasant circumstances, here are a few ideas that can definitely help you protect your mobile devices and keep them more secure.
Lock your device and apps.
You don’t want to give anyone the opportunity to look inside your device or your apps without your permission. The only way to enforce this is by using passwords, pin numbers, facial recognition or fingerprints to lock your device. Some apps can also be secured individually. Any apps with access to your email, documents, or financial information should be secured individually. Too many people refuse to do this because it takes more time to access their device and its contents. But really, what’s more valuable to you? A few seconds or your financial information? The harder it is for a thief to access your device, the less likely you are to fall victim to identity theft.
Use a device finding app.
There’s plenty of applications out there that will help you find your phone or other device if it’s lost or stolen. There’s even an app called Lookout that gives you the ability to turn on your phone’s features remotely. Imagine turning on your camera so you can see who is trying to break into your phone. An app like Lookout will track your device and lead you to where it is. Whether it’s lost in your home or hanging out in that grocery store you just left, Lookout will find it. Other options include: Find my iPhone, Android Device Manager, and Anti-Theft. Maybe you are like me and lose your iPhone the moment you set it down. The Apple watch has a ping feature that sends a sonar sounding ping from the phone. No matter how you choose to locate your device, it’s another way to protect your mobile devices.
Log out of accounts.
Falling in line with locking your device and apps, it’s important to fully log out of your online accounts. If someone does manage to break through your code into your phone, or if you decide not to protect your phone with a passcode at all; then you better make sure they don’t have easy access to the rest of your life. This also means you shouldn’t allow a website to remember your login credentials on your phone. Sure, you might be making your life a little easier, but you’re also making it a lot easier for someone to access your private information. Again, which one is more valuable to you?
Protecting your mobile devices gets more critical every day. Lock it down, know where it is and log out of anything you’re not using are great tips. The data that is on your devices is valuable to the right people. Don’t let it fall into their hands.
