How Safe Is Your Mobile?
In a world where every week seems to bring some new news story of a major company being hacked, people are very cautious about their digital security. Home computers have virus protections software of all kinds, and every account has it’s own separate password. It can in fact be said that people are a bit paranoid about cyber security.
This paranoia likely comes from the depiction of hackers in movies, seen able to smash through just about any software security like it was so much tissue paper. In reality, of course, it is a great deal harder to crack security programs or online casino games! So difficult, in fact, that it can all but be considered impossible. The truth is that most security threats are unwittingly invited in by the user, and not by any hackers actually breaking software security.
Plus, in modern times many seem to take their mobile device security for granted. Let’s pay a bit more attention to mobile device security, and see just how secure your device is.
Threats Are Not Remote
A hard truth that must be faced is that mobile phones are near impossible to hack remotely, especially given the extreme complicated nature of wireless connections. Mobile devices are designed to be extremely secure as far as wireless connections are concerned. That, however, is not where the biggest risks are found with mobile technology. Instead, it is when mobile phones are stolen that major security risks come into play.
A mobile device must be physically hacked in order to be broken and accessed, in the vast majority of cases. If a thief has physical access to a phone, breaking it’s security is much more likely. This is why stole phones are the most at risk. In most cases, however, a thief will simply wipe a phone clean before reselling it, given how tough it is to crack a locked phone. But, just how safe is your phone, should it fall into the hands of a criminal?
Phone Locking Techniques
The latest models of mobile phone use biometric security, which has added a very firm layer of protection to mobile security. Biometric systems use aspect such as fingerprints and facial scans to lock phones, which are extremely difficult to crack, if not impossible. If your model phone supports this type of security, then consider yourself thoroughly protected. But what about other locking techniques?
The most common techniques used to lock phones are numeric codes, or pattern codes. Since a person uses their phone regularly throughout the day, a number code can be a hassle to constantly have to enter. Hence, many settle for the pattern code method of locking phones. It need not be said, however, that the numeric code is far more difficult to guess than the pattern. Most devices will tell a user that a pattern code is not high security, and this should be taken to heart. Such codes can be broken, and should not be considered as fool proof. It is recommended using a numeric code, even if it is a hassle to keep entering. At least if phone security is a top priority.
If Your Phone Is Cracked
What most people don’t take into account is just how vulnerable they would be, should their phone ever actually be cracked. Mobile phones often have direct access to banks, which is obviously very risky. Does your bank application have a password that enters automatically? Entering passwords over and over is also a hassle, and so many have auto-login enabled. This, it need not be said, is extremely dangerous.
If a thief manages to access the phone, perhaps having observed the locking codes be entered secretly, he or she will have instant and direct access to bank accounts. It is in fact this level of security that is most important, and not the locking code of the device itself. A thief that knows the locking code should be bared from sensitive programs first and foremost. After all, how much does it really matter if a thief has access to a Facebook account, or email address? These breaches are small, and can be quickly and easily fixed. Instead, consider keeping your bank account application safely locked at all times, and with a password that needs to be re-entered every time the application is used.
What If My Phone Is Stolen?
In the unfortunate event of a phone being stolen, there are some steps that should be taken immediately. The first is to block the linked bank account, obviously, which can hopefully be done before any problems occur. But what then?
Many don’t know that modern mobile phones have tracking software built right into them. This means that if the phone is stolen, it can be accessed remotely, and even be used to catch the thief. Check if your phone has this functionality, and note that the GPS must be enabled in order for the software to be used.