These days technology is everywhere, and it is easier than ever to quickly access your personal information wherever you are.
However, this also leaves many mobile devices susceptible to malicious attacks and online snoopers so follow these steps to keep your data safe.
- Mind the cloud
The appeal of storing information in a cloud is that it allows you to access and share information across devices. However, be mindful of what you store in the cloud, as it has become a focus for more and more people as a way to find other’s personal data.
- Password updates
Most sites will require more complex passwords these days, but you should try updating and varying your password as often as possible. This can be a pain, but it is one way of making sure that your information is kept safe.
You should always have a passcode on your phone, as this is the only way to immediately guard against unwanted access if it is stolen or lost.
- Install the right security program
Keeping your information safe is truly a job best left to the professionals, so review Leo Privacy Guard and other apps that can help give you peace of mind on the go. Many of these work in a number of ways, providing security to physical hardware access and monitoring devices for unwanted presences.
- Secure the WI-FI
Open WI-FI networks mean that anyone can access them, including those who know how to use this to their advantage in a bad way. Whether at home or on the go, know that an open network means vulnerability. Be sure your personal networks are password-protected, and install a security program that can monitor when and if someone comes in through this way.
- Verify encryption
It is easy to know if a site is securely encrypting data or not. Check to see if the beginning of the web address starts with HTTP or HTTPS – the latter indicates secure encryption.
- Change search engines
If you’re worried about search history being tracked, choose a different search engine that doesn’t save user’s histories.
- Only download trusted apps
There are many ways that people use apps that you download to gain access to your information. It used to be that you could avoid this by only using marketplaces set up by the major manufacturers (e.g. Google or Apple), but these days savvy snoopers have learned ways to disguise apps that look legitimate but actually allow unwanted access. It’s always a good idea to check the reviews of apps, and/or how many people have downloaded them, as this can be an indication that they are trusted.
- Know what you have on there
When getting rid of an old computer or device, sometimes it’s easy to forget to clear all of your information off completely. Similarly, make sure that your wireless device has a remote wipe feature on it, so you can clear data in case someone makes it past your passcode.
