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The Ultimate Guide to Securing Your Smartphone Data: 8 Essential Strategies

Mobile phones have become an indispensable part of most people's lives, serving as a personal vault for storing a wealth of personal information that needs to be safeguarded.

Administrator

20 October, 2023

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In fact, your phone can be at risk from various features. Familiar apps can access your device’s data even without your permission. This poses the risk of cyber attacks or leaks of important personal data. Here are 8 notes to protect data on your smartphone.

8 notes to protect data on your smartphone (Illustration).

1. Be cautious of contacts pretending to be relatives

This scam has been happening for quite a while. After stealing contact information of relatives and friends, hackers impersonate them and contact the victim. This tactic usually involves asking for urgent money transfers, phone card purchases, or electronic wallet transfers… If one is not careful, the victim will quickly fall into the trap due to their trust in the contact.

The advice for these cases is to always verify before deciding to help. If you encounter a scammer, warn those around you to avoid being deceived.

2. Avoid charging your phone at public charging stations

Many shopping malls and public places often provide free phone charging ports, which is very convenient.

However, this convenience can be targeted by hackers by altering the charging cable as most users cannot see the other end of the charging box.

When connected to a phone, the hacker can access the data repository or secretly install malware. It is difficult to distinguish a fake charging station from a real one, so users should be cautious before using them.

3. Use a VPN when logging into public wi-fi

Many hackers can take advantage of public wi-fi to steal anyone’s personal information. To avoid this risk, users should use a VPN to encrypt data when using public connections. You can also browse anonymously so that no one can track your browsing history.

4. Use a reliable password management app

Many people have the habit of using the same password for multiple accounts, which makes it easy for hackers to access when one account is leaked. Some people remember passwords by taking notes on their phones, but security experts do not recommend this.

You should use a reliable password management app, downloaded from official app stores. Not only will it create strong passwords for your accounts, but it will also store all passwords in an encrypted database. The only password you need to remember is the one that unlocks the database.

5. Clear your browsing history and cookies regularly

Hackers often use stored cookies to perform tricks to access your device, without needing a password. Cookies also store a lot of personal information such as bank account logins, Google accounts, etc.

Cybercriminals can track you online and send malicious codes to your email. These emails usually impersonate login confirmation information and request personal information to access…

Many people can be deceived when providing information to scammers. Moreover, hackers can install malware through the attached link to infiltrate device data. Therefore, it is important to regularly clear your browser data and never use the “remember password” feature.

6. Only download trusted apps from App Store or Google Play

Many applications are created solely for fraud and data theft, posing great threats to your device. Additionally, viruses are common as an unverified application can bypass the security system on your phone. Nowadays, there are many fake applications that look exactly like the real ones, making it difficult for users to distinguish.

Before downloading an app, research the developer’s name and verifying unit to avoid downloading a harmful application.

7. Set up remote wipe on your phone

If your phone is stolen or lost, activating the remote wipe feature can delete all your data before it falls into the wrong hands. This feature can also prevent thieves from recovering deleted files and reset your phone to its original settings.

8. Do not keep your Bluetooth connection active when not in use

Hackers can spread malware and viruses to randomly connected devices. They have tricks to access data without having to pair with your device to perform an attack. All devices using Windows, iOS, Android, and Linux can be affected if Bluetooth is always turned on.

Nowadays, there are many deceptive scams and user information thefts. This makes your phone data very vulnerable to being lost. So be wary of things that affect your data with the above 8 notes.

According to VTC

Frequently asked questions

Be vigilant against potential risks, including familiar apps accessing your data without permission, and follow these 8 tips to safeguard your smartphone data:

1. Be cautious of contacts pretending to be relatives. Always verify before sending money or sensitive information.
2. Avoid charging your phone at public stations as they might be altered by hackers.
3. Use a VPN to secure your data when connecting to public wi-fi.
4. Download and use a reliable password management app to create strong, unique passwords for each account.
5. Regularly clear your browsing history and cookies to prevent unauthorized access to your device.
6. Only download trusted apps from official App Stores to avoid malware and data theft.
7. Set up remote wipe to delete all data if your phone is lost or stolen.
8. Turn off Bluetooth when not in use to prevent potential malware and virus infections.

This is a common scam where hackers steal contact information and impersonate relatives or friends. They usually ask for urgent money transfers or sensitive information. If you’re not careful, you could fall victim to their tactics due to your trust in the contact.

Public charging stations can be targeted by hackers by altering the charging cables. When you connect your phone, they can access your data or install malware. It’s difficult to distinguish fake stations from real ones, so it’s best to avoid them if possible.

A VPN (Virtual Private Network) encrypts your data and hides your online activities. When you use public wi-fi, a VPN ensures that your data is secure and cannot be intercepted by hackers or other malicious actors.

Using the same password for multiple accounts is a security risk. A password manager creates strong, unique passwords for each account and stores them in an encrypted database. You only need to remember one master password to access all your other passwords safely.

Hackers can use stored cookies to access your device without a password. Regularly clearing your browser data removes this potential entry point. Also, avoid using the ‘remember password’ feature as it compromises your security.

Only download apps from the official App Store or Google Play Store. Research the developer’s name and verifying unit before downloading to ensure the app is trustworthy and doesn’t pose a security risk to your device.

Remote wipe is a feature that allows you to delete all data on your phone remotely. This prevents thieves from accessing your sensitive information and can also reset your phone to its original settings, making it harder for them to recover any deleted files.

Active Bluetooth connections can be entry points for hackers to spread malware and viruses to your device. By keeping Bluetooth turned off when not in use, you reduce the potential attack surface and protect your data.