If your smartphone or computer is hacked it is even worse than being your house robbed. It’s an invasion of privacy, a violation of your personal space. In today’s world our smartphones and computers don’t just hold your valuables; but also, a lot more that can be used against you if stolen and falls into wrong hands. Hence, it is important to protect your data from hackers and intruders.
In the digital world, the most valuable and vulnerable are our Smartphones that can easily get lost or stolen. As smartphones are used constantly to store, send and receive information, so they are always a priority target for criminals.
So, it is important for all of us to keep our smartphones and computers away from prying eyes. For that, you need to develop a strategy to protect your data stored on these devices. We will discuss useful tips on how to protect your data stored on computers and smartphones from hackers and intruders.
Why we are talking about intruders is because it is not always hackers who can steal your data and misuse it against you, but also there are intruders, like jealous colleagues, jealous neighbors, ex-boyfriends, ex-girlfriends, and so on. In most of the cases, I have worked on, it is mostly the known people of the victims who steal their data and use it against them.
So, let’s see how we can try to keep our devices and information safe from such people.
Keep Your Operating System and Apps Updated
Software companies and app developers keep updating their software and applications. Those updates are not cosmetic but are for a very good reason. Most of the software and app updates fix bugs that can result in data breaches and give way to hackers and intruders in your devices.
As soon as any update is announced and you see a notification for an update on your phone do not delay installing it on your device. Keeping your operating system updated not gives you better security but also helps speed up your device for multitasking. This will also help you protect your data from hackers and intruders.
Avoid Using Public Wi-Fi
The easiest way to hack into a device is through Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi devices are quite vulnerable to hacking and hence the devices connected to these Wi-Fi devices can also be hacked. If not hacked then at least the traffic and activities done on these devices while being connected with these Wi-Fi devices can be monitored and read by the hackers.
To keep your data safe always use only your private cell connection whenever possible. Switch off Wi-Fi on your mobile phone altogether whenever you are in a public place. If that is not possible, use a VPN (Virtual Private Network), as it routes network communications through an encrypted connection.
Using a VPN surely adds up another layer of protection to your device and data. But, again using public Wi-Fi is surely not recommended if you are concerned about the safety of your data.
Switch Off Your Bluetooth When Not in Use
Everyone hates wires and no one wants to handle the wires while using them for listening to music or enjoying videos. Bluetooth helps connect wireless headphones to the phone and have the same listening experience as the users.
Also, it gives you the freedom to move around without carrying your phone and still communicate and enjoy your music. But, with advantage, it also has a disadvantage.
Hackers can use Bluetooth to gain access to your device. It’s best to not use Bluetooth on your device if you are concerned about the safety of your data.
Consider disabling Bluetooth while you’re out and not using it. This way at least you will know that no one can enter into your device using Bluetooth.
Use Strong Unguessable Passwords & Passcodes
Though phones and computers now come with multiple security features enabled in them. Like you can unlock your phone or computer with fingerprint, face recognition. But, keeping your devices locked with strong passwords and passcodes is important. Don’t use easy passcodes like 1111 or 0000 as they are easy to guess.
Similarly, don’t use your birthday or anniversary date as passcode as they are again easy to guess and someone can use it to unlock your phone or computer. You can also secure your important documents, folders, and applications with passcodes and passwords. Practice these methods to add an extra layer of security to your data and devices.
Also, it is important to keep in mind that to reset your password the security questions and answers you choose should also be unguessable. If you use information that can be accessed by hackers through social engineering then they can easily crack your passwords.
Don’t Leave Your Mobile Phone and Computer Unattended
In many cases, we leave our phones on our desks, or tables in offices or restaurants unattended. This is where someone can pick it up and steal your data, install malicious software to steal data, or do any mischief with your device.
Also, do not hand over your phone or computer to anyone you don’t trust. In the case of the computer if you have to give it to someone then make a different user or let them use it as a guest, not as an administrator where they can access all the files on your computer.
Do Not Hand Over Your Phone and Computer to Anyone
In around 40% of cases of a data hack, it is the mistake of the victim that gives access to the intruders into your devices. Learning to hack takes years and it is even more difficult to hack anyone’s phone or device without knowing them.
Hacking or stealing of data doesn’t happen without a motive. Motive is always to defame or blackmail the victim. Hackers don’t know what you have in your device but intruders do. Hence, it is important to stay away and keep your devices away from these intruders.
Do not give your phone to anyone to take a picture of you. Even if you have to give your phone to someone to take a picture just open your camera from the locked screen and not open up your phone and hand it over. It takes less than 20 seconds to install malware or a backdoor into your phone. But that can only happen when your phone is unlocked.
Keeping your phone locked is always a good practice. Also, do not give your phone to anyone to make a call or send an SMS. If you do so keep an eye on your device and take it back as soon as the call is over.
Keep Your Mobile Phone Number Private
Don’t give your mobile number to any app that prompts you. The more places that have your number, the more vulnerable you are to SMS intrusions and scams, and even invasion of your protected banking applications.
Only provide your phone number to important applications like banking applications and others that you use for two-factor authentication. For instance, a camera application, or music app has nothing to do with your phone number. So be alert when such applications ask you for your phone number or location details.
Don’t Over Share on Social Media
Avoid sharing every minute detail about yourself on social networks. Don’t list home towns, specific addresses, specific work locations, phone numbers, family names, relationship statuses, and other details hackers can use to track you.
These days, Facebook lets you conceal the vast portion of information about yourself with its privacy settings and tools, including most photos, friend lists, and more.
Curate and streamline your social media feed to get rid of old, outdated information that may reveal more about you than you’d like. It’s better if you use Facebook on your home computer, as opposed to accessing it on your phone if you can.
Do not share anything online that can be used against you by hackers and intruders. Think twice before you share anything online. The idea is to protect your data and information as much as you can.
Travel Light
There are more chances of losing your mobile phone when you are traveling. To be safe don’t store personal information, documents, or files on your phone, and limit the number of geotagged photos in your Camera Roll. Make a habit of keeping your phone relatively pristine by offloading images, videos, and documents to your computer, and eliminating confidential emails from banks, employers, and health-related accounts.
However, it is always easy to travel when you are traveling with less burden. You can enjoy your travel when you have less to worry about losing your data. Hence, leave important data back home that you won’t need while traveling and travel worry-free.
Use Two-factor Authentication
Many people hate using two-factor authentication because it requires an extra step, and it’s really a nightmare if you forget to have your phone or watch nearby to receive and punch in the code.
But like passwords, it serves a purpose by providing an extra layer of protection in case someone gets ahold of your password. So, it is always advisable to use two-factor authentication for your emails, social media accounts, and banking applications. Better safe than sorry.
Beware of Spam and Phishing Emails
One of the easiest ways for hackers to invade your phone or computer and access your information is through your email inbox. Phishing emails are designed to trick you into entering your details into fake websites that imitate the real websites and handing over access to your accounts to the hackers.
Do not click on links in promotional emails, avoid opening suspicious attachments, or running app updates prompted through email. Do not try to access financial accounts through random emails, but instead, go directly to the financial institution’s original website by typing in their website address in the URL bar and sign in with a proper username and password.
If possible, enable two-factor authentications in your bank login as well. Some banks offer it as default. With two-factor authentication, it wouldn’t be easy for hackers to hack into your bank account without having access to your phone. Don’t click on links in your email from unreliable sources to protect your data from hackers.
Enable Built-in Device Protections
Modern mobile phones have apps built-in which help you locate your device in case you lose them. For iOS devices, it is called “Find My iPhone” and for Android devices, it is called “Find My Device”.
These applications if enabled can locate your missing phone on a map and, in some cases, automatically erase the entire data on your phone remotely. This gives you peace of mind that you can delete your entire phone’s data remotely if you lose your phone. Or if there is an unfortunate situation when you want to erase your data on your phone you can do that.
These applications can also make your phone ring to helping you locate a device you have temporarily misplaced. With this, your device rings loudly even if your device is on vibration or silent mode. This can scare the thieves of your phone and also help you locate it.
You can also set up the phone to delete all information after a set number of incorrect passcodes attempts. So, if someone who has found your lost phone tries to open with the incorrect password after a number of attempts phone automatically deletes all data stored on it. Make use of such features in your phone to stay safe and protect your data from the prying eyes.
Enable Face Recognition & Fingerprint Scan
Modern phones and laptops have more built-in security features like face recognition, iris scan, and fingerprint scan. So, you need to show your face, iris or scan your fingers to unlock your device. Enabling these features on your devices adds another level of security to your device.
Obviously, the hackers and intruders don’t have the same fingerprint or face like you so they can’t unlock it. But, again you need to know that if hackers get access to your phone they can disable these features and use your device for any purpose they want. So add up this extra layer of security to your devices and protect your data from hackers.
Use Antivirus Applications on Your Devices
Using antivirus applications on your devices adds another level of security to them. Hackers mostly use malware to steal passwords, control your device and get access to your account information. They install the malware in your device when you download any application or open a link from any un-trusted source.
But you can combat that with an antivirus app like Avast, McAfee, etc. These antivirus apps ensure the files you download to your device are free of any known viruses or malware.
Do Not Store Your Private Pictures & Videos in Cloud Storage
Even if you store your pictures and videos in cloud storage they are not safe. You may have heard about the fappening, Celebgate when Ryan Collins hacked into the celebrity’s cloud accounts and stole their nude pictures and leaked online in 2016. First of all, do not click or make any such videos that can land you in trouble or in a state of embarrassment.
But, if you do it is advisable that do not store them in phones or computers or in cloud storage. Store them in detachable external devices like a hard disc or a thumb drive and keep those devices behind lock and key. Better be safe than sorry!
Manage App Permissions
Do not install apps from unreliable sources. They may contain viruses, malware, etc. These can steal your data or may also damage your device. Check the apps on your phone to determine whether they have more privileges than they need. You can grant or deny permissions like access to the camera, microphone, your contacts, or your location.
Keep track of which permissions you gave to your apps, and revoke permissions that are not needed. For iPhones, go to Settings > Privacy, where you’ll see a list of all apps and the permissions you’ve granted to them. The exact path to app permissions on an Android device depends on the device.
Check your device and revoke the permission you don’t want those apps to have on your device. For instance, a music sharing app doesn’t need to know your device location. So, if any such app has access to your location data, you can revoke that permission. With little alertness, you can keep your device and data safe from hackers and intruders.
Keep a Back Up of Your Phone Data
Always make sure your phone is backed up to protect important documents and files in case your phone is lost, hacked, or stolen. You can use iCloud if you are using an iPhone or if you are using an android phone you can make use of Google Drive. Also, you can use dropbox or OneDrive to keep a backup of your phone’s data.
At least that way, if your phone is lost or wiped, you can still access those precious files and documents on your phone. If your iPhone is backed up, you can program it to automatically wipe after 10 consecutive unsuccessful passcode attempts. Remember your data is more precious than your phone. Always keep the safety features enabled on your phone.
Do Not Download Apps from Unreliable and Unsecured Websites
Sideloading means downloading apps from websites that are not recommended or trusted might grant access to your device to hackers. If you use iPhone always download your applications from App Store only. If you use an android phone don’t download any application from anywhere except Google Play Store.
Even if a link to download any application comes from any friend do not download it anywhere else from Google play store and apple app store. Downloading applications from unreliable resources allows hackers to inject malware directly into your mobile phone.
Once they inject any malware into your phone they can literally do anything on your phone remotely. That simply means they can control and use your device remotely for anything.
Applications available on the Google play store and apple app store are checked and vetted by Google and Apple for the safety of the users. The more you stick to the rules more you can keep your device safer.
Do Not Use Public Chargers
Public chargers in coffee shops, libraries, bus stations, airports, fairs, etc., are not safe to use as hackers can easily hack your phone through them. Travel with your own charger and use that only. If you use a public charger you are unknowingly exposing the entire data on your phone to hackers and cybercriminals.
Even if you bring your own charger do not plugin that to anyone’s computer to charge your phone. Anyone can steal your phone’s data through your USB charger connected to the computer. It’s best that you bring your outlet adapter along in addition to your USB cable if you’re traveling.
Use your wall adapter to charge your phone while you are on move. Doing this will help you keep your mobile phone data safe from the eyes of hackers and intruders.
Choose Wisely What You Want to Store in Your Phone
With cameras in smartphones, it is easy to record videos and click pictures. But, it is advisable to not keep any such videos or images in your phone which can be used against you by hackers or intruders.
There are thousands of cases where people have been blackmailed or embarrassed when their personal pictures get into the hands of hackers and blackmailers. Use external hard disks to store your personal pictures and videos and use strong passwords or finger scan in your external devices to be double sure of their safety.
Conclusion
If you take necessary steps to protect your data from hackers and intruders you will stay out of a lot of hassles. Once you have done everything discussed here, you should feel confident you’ve done everything possible to protect your critical information. This makes it much less likely that hackers and intruders will be able to steal your data. With these measures, they can’t peep into your phone, siphon off your money, and make your life unhappy.
