Smartphones are user-friendly devices that have made everything accessible at the tap of a screen. Given the central role they now play in our lives, it’s only natural that many individuals, especially youths and young adults, check their smartphones first in the morning and the last thing at night. Still, many of us use smartphones for more than entertainment and communication. We use them to conduct our businesses. If you use your smartphone to conduct business or share crucial information, you might want to consider protecting it with antivirus.
Dangers for Your Smartphone
In 2021, the cyber security firm Kaspersky identified approximately 3.5 million harmful attacks against mobile phone users. There’s a good probability that you’ve loaded malware that corrupted your smartphone and ran in the background without your knowledge. More than one-fifth of smartphones have experienced malware, according to a global survey commissioned by private business Zimperium. Additionally, 40% of mobile devices worldwide are susceptible to cyberattacks.
Why Is It So Important to Keep Your Smartphone Safe?
If your smartphone is breached, it is likely to experience the following problems:
Poor Performance
If it takes excessive time for the apps on your phone to load, if it consistently overheats, or if the battery dies at an abnormally rapid rate, this could be a clue that your phone has been hacked.
Unauthorized Credit Card Purchases
It’s important to keep tabs on your monthly bank and credit card statements. Strange purchases that you didn’t make could be a strong indicator that something is amiss. However, it’s possible that the problem isn’t your phone; credit card fraud can come in many forms. Checking whether a site’s URL starts with “HTTPS” (which indicates that it has a valid SSL certificate) is one technique to protect yourself from this kind of fraud. If a website has a lot of strange pop-ups and adverts, you should probably not enter any sensitive information when using it.
Bizarre Behaviour
When a virus infects a smartphone, it generally starts acting erratically. Most people are constantly checking their phones and will notice anything out of the ordinary; however, many others choose to ignore such warnings. You may find that your phone randomly opens applications when you’re not using it, runs incredibly sluggish, or restarts due to a virus.
Increased Data Usage
Increased data usage can be caused by various factors, including uploading high-quality images, automated upgrading of applications, or quicker network rates. However, there is a risk that your phone has been hacked if nothing else has changed, but your data usage has skyrocketed.
Tips to Keep Your Data Safe
With such problems associated with phone hacking, it is only right to protect it from viruses. Here are a few tips to help keep your phone safe:
Ensure The Screen Is Always Locked
Our first piece of advice may appear simplistic, but you’d be amazed at how often the essentials are overlooked. A smartphone can be locked in several ways, some of which are built into the device and others that can be accessed through apps. If your mobile device includes a fingerprint reader, we advise using it. When compared to FaceID, fingerprint authentication is more reliable because fingerprints are completely unique to each person and vary between fingers. Face recognition, Personal Identification Numbers (PINs), PIN lock apps, passwords, and unlock patterns are all viable alternatives. Avoid using simple PIN codes like your birthday or a random string of numbers, and stick to more complex patterns instead.
Use Strong Passwords
Unfortunately, many people use simple, easily-guessed passwords. Most people use their birth years, names of their significant others, and favourite sports teams. While they are easy to remember, they are also easy for hackers to manipulate. You should choose passwords that contain uppercase and lowercase letters, symbols, and numbers. Some people use smartphone password managers, while others prefer the added protection of acronyms.
Avoid Reusing Passwords
It’s important to note that it’s not just insecure passwords that can lead to problems but also a lack of password variety. Many people take the easy route and only use a handful of passwords across all their devices and online accounts. Refrain from doing that. If you use the same password for your phone and online banking, you should change it immediately. However, basic and repeated passwords are good for things like gaming website accounts.
Consider Using Vpns
Wired, PC Mag, and other well-known technology publications regularly advise protecting your smartphone. One common advice is to avoid using your phone on public Wi-Fi networks and other unsecured open internet connections. Virtual private networks (VPNs) are a fantastic answer if you have to use public Wi-Fi. VPNs protect your phone by establishing a connection to a remote server, which then masks your IP address to conceal your device’s actual location.
Only Download Apps from The App Store
Apps from Google Playstore are often safe and usable on your phone. Installing apps from third-party websites increases the risk of infecting your phone with a virus.
Limit What the Apps Can Access
Applications on your phone access things like camera, GPS, contact, and profile information. However, some apps make money selling your data, and you must be careful what you allow your apps to access. If you don’t approve the permissions the app is asking for, don’t install it.
Install Antivirus Program
You wouldn’t use your PC without antivirus protection, so why would you leave your phone defenceless? No matter what OS your smartphone uses or how safe its manufacturer claims it to be, it is susceptible to attack if it connects to the internet. There is numerous antivirus and anti-malware software for android. Firewall applications are also useful for ensuring that no applications send or receive information without your knowledge.
Why Should You Use Antivirus for Your Smartphone?
Antivirus programs ensure that your phone is defended from viruses, and sometimes antivirus can help get rid of the virus making your phone slow. Avira Antivirus program is one of the best free smartphone protections you can use.
Read also : Apple vs. Android: How Do They Hold Up to Cyber Attacks?