Going mobile makes the
internet so easy – you can check your bank balance while you’re out shopping, get directions to Santa’s Grotto, or check out alternative prices, all from your smartphone. But it’s best to keep your wits about you – follow our quick tips to keep you and your smartphone safe this Christmas.
- Lock and wipe
Your phone probably has lots of your friends and work colleagues’ details, including phone numbers and email addresses. Your emails may also contain important information about you that thieves could use – such as your home address. Always set the security pin on your phone, and don’t rely on gesture or face recognition technology – these can be easily hacked on many phones. Some phones, including the iPhone and Android devices, allow you to automatically wipe the info on your phone if you lose it. You may have to set up this service in advance – check your phone’s manual.
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- Watch out for shoulder surfers
It’s the same deal as using a cash machine – anyone could read your PIN numbers or passwords just by looking over your shoulder. If you must make a secure transaction on your mobile, make sure no-one’s spying on you.
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- Beware of free apps
Only use official apps from your phone’s online store. Just like on your computer, fake or unreliable apps could carry malware, which could slow down your phone, or viruses which could damage it.
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Beware of unsecured Wi-Fi hotspots</a class="lexicon-term" href="/jargon-buster/wi-fi"dfn title="A communication system that uses low-power microwave radio signals to connect laptop computers, PDAs, and web-enabled cell phones to the Internet."ol>Be very careful if you need to use an unsecured Wi-Fi hotspot. Anyone can access it and they could use software to spy on your internet activity. Avoid accessing your bank or buying through an unsecured Wi-Fi point.</p>
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- Remember to log out of pay sites
If you’ve been buying online, remember to log out of the site when you finish. If you lose your phone, a thief could get straight into your account and go on their own Xmas spending spree.
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- Enable your phone’s tracking capability
Some manufacturers and networks may offer services to help you track your phone if it’s lost or stolen. There are also paid-for and free apps that do the same thing, such as
LocateMyDroid and
Find My iPhone. So long as your phone’s switched on, they can track it, often using GPS satellite technology, and show you where it is using maps on their website. Check your user manual, ask your network or search your phone’s app store.
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- Remember that messages can carry malware
Follow the same security rules for emails, texts and tweets on your phone as you would for emails on your computer. They could contain malware, viruses or lead to you phishing sites that will try to steal your online identity, so don’t open them if they look suspicious, don’t click on links on messages if you have any doubt about where they’ve come from, and don’t respond to suspect messages.
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