From Experimac
Each year, we see more statistics supporting one simple fact – we are dependent on our phones. We use our phones to manage many aspects of our lives including paying bills, appointments, personal communication with family, data storage, personal family details, and so much more. The social media accounts stored on our phones tell you where we have been, our calendar and text messages can tell you where we are going, and our bank apps can tell you how much money we have to get there. It’s a very robust and personal digital dialogue, all stored in one tiny device. Amazing but also kind of scary, right? Have you given any thought to what a hacker could do with everything they would have access to from your phone?
Below, we have gathered some tips you should review to keep your iPhone device safe from hackers.
Lock Your Phone
The first step to protecting your phone’s data is to protect it with a password or fingerprint. Securing your phone with a passcode may add a step for you when accessing your phone but it will help protect your phone from hackers gaining access to your private data. Consider using a unique passcode on your phone that is not used anywhere else. The longer your passcode is, the better. Most likely, your phone contains personal financial apps, such as your banking or credit card app or a budgeting app that could contain personal financial information so keeping your phone unlocked puts you at financial risk.
Keep the Operating System Up to Date
Updating your phone can feel like a chore, it takes your phone offline for a while, it requires your phone to be plugged into a charger, and it sometimes means a huge change to the interface. But, ignoring the update can also mean ignoring security patches or updates that will keep your phone secure. Fixes for security issues that are found in old operating systems are important because when not applied, it could leave your phone vulnerable to hackers who found a weakness in the system. The easiest way to handle this is to have your phone update automatically, during the evening hours.
Remove Apps that You Aren’t Using
We all have apps on our phones that we use regularly and some that we downloaded at some point and used for a while but have then stopped using. On a regular basis, do a spring cleaning of your phone’s apps and remove any that you are not using or that are no longer receiving security support. Some apps don’t get a lot of traction when they launch so eventually the company that created them chooses to abandon them. You can still use them but no support, security updates, or resources are available to manage the backend of the application. Keep your phone secure by removing these apps and keeping the ones you do have up to date.
Lost or Stolen Phone? Wipe It Clean Immediately
Losing your phone is a real inconvenience that can cost you hundreds of dollars, which is painful enough. But, it also could put your personal documents and information at risk. Apple, Inc. allows you to wipe your phone of all data remotely so there is no reason to feel that you are at a complete loss.
We are connected to our phones in more ways than ever before, our financial records, medical information, credit cards, our financial history, and personal photos can all be stored in apps and on our devices. Protecting our personal records should be a priority in order to safeguard ourselves from identity theft or financial loss at the hands of hackers.
Not sure how to set your phone up to be secure? Stop by your local Experimac store today to get help from our resident experts.
Business hours are Monday – Sunday 10 AM – 8 PM. Experimac is located at 1865-106 Carl D. Silver Parkway, Fredericksburg, VA 22401.
