Five Tips to Keep Your Smartphone Secure
These days, our entire lives are on our smartphones. While this has made many aspects of communication, work and daily tasks so much easier, it’s more important than ever to make sure your smartphone is secure.
From stronger passcodes to limiting notification settings, check out our easy tips to keep your device secure.
Use a Longer Passcode
All smartphones provide a passcode method to log in. These can be PIN numbers (typically ranging from 4 to 6 digits) or pattern unlocks (swiping a chosen pattern on a 3×3 grid on Android devices). For security, it is advised to use a longer passcode. When you use a 4-digit numerical PIN, there are 10,000 possible combinations, whereas using a 6-digit numerical PIN has 1,000,000 possible combinations.
Even more important than length, however, is the passcode used. Using a passcode with repeat numbers (eg. 111111) or sequential numbers (eg. 123456) is considered insecure. Starting with a 1 or 0 is also very common and advised against. Furthermore, if you use a code such as a significant date (birthday, anniversary, etc.), people who know you or can see that information online will be more likely to unlock your phone successfully.
Pattern unlocks are considered the least secure by security experts. It is estimated that if someone watches an individual enter a pattern to unlock their phone once, they can replicate it 64% of the time, and given the opportunity to see a pattern entered multiple times, the chances of memorizing and replicating rise to 80%. There are also predictable patterns that people tend to use, typically starting in the top left corner, which makes it easier for someone to guess the correct pattern.
Take Advantage of Facial Recognition and Other Biometrics
Most modern smartphones have a built-in biometric authentication method, such as fingerprint scanners, face recognition, and voice recognition. The data for these authentication methods is stored in an encrypted manner which prevents it from just being accessed and replicated.
Most phones will walk you through setting up a biometric security method when you first activate and log into the device. Should you want to set yours up later, or if you want to update your biometrics, these settings are easy to find. On an iPhone or iPad, you can go to “Settings” and select “Touch ID & Passcode” or “Face ID & Passcode.” Once you enter your device PIN, you will be able to create a fingerprint or face recognition or update your existing settings.
On an Android device, the steps may vary based on the model of phone you have. Typically, you can set up your biometrics by going to “Settings,” then clicking on “Lock Screen & Security.” From there select “Fingerprint” or “Trusted Face.”
Be Mindful of Your Notification Settings
With smartphones, notifications are a key function that can tell you about an application’s activity. Depending on your security settings, this may show a lot of information. If someone picks up your device, they can see what applications have notifications, how many they have, and the contents of the notifications. As a result, we advise locking down notification settings to ensure a passerby cannot discern the contents of a message. (This is also good advice for your text messages.)
On iOS, notification settings can be adjusted by the following steps. Click on the “Settings” app, and then click on “Notifications.” Under “Show Previews,” you can select “Always,” “When Unlocked” or “Never.” Choosing “Never” will ensure that even if your phone is unlocked, the contents of the notification will only show what application it is coming from. A mid-ground is to choose “When Unlocked,” to show the contents of the notification when your phone unlocks, which prying eyes could see. Depending on the application, the notification may show less information.
Back Up Data Regularly
Smartphones have the ability to be backed up to the cloud. This provides a layer of security and convenience, so should your phone encounter an error or be stolen, you will be able to restore a recent backup to continue working from. Enabling automatic backups will help ensure you have the most current version of your data available in an emergency. These backups can be set to run when on Wi-Fi and plugged in to avoid unnecessary data and battery usage.
Be Careful With Bluetooth
Bluetooth is a convenient tool for being able to talk and listen on the go, but it can also expose your smartphone to potential security risks if not used carefully. To stay safe, only enable Bluetooth when actively using it and turn it off when it’s not needed to reduce vulnerability to unauthorized access. Avoid pairing your device in public spaces, as hackers can exploit these settings to intercept your data. Lastly, make sure your device is not discoverable and delete unused Bluetooth connections.
Your smartphone is not just a device—it’s a gateway to your personal and professional life. By implementing robust security measures such as using longer passcodes, enabling biometrics, managing notifications, and regularly backing up data, you can keep yourself and your information safe.
