Is my phone hacked: Tips to safeguard your phone from hackers

With the emergence of smartphones being the most important part of our everyday life, it is more essential to secure our phones against hackers. Online offenders employ different strategies to access personal information, banking and confidential messages. Luckily, simple and efficient measures that you can implement to protect your device and data against unauthorised access are available. Here are some tips for you to safeguard your phone from hackers.

Avoid clicking suspicious links

On receiving messages, or emails, hackers usually include malicious links that when clicked would install malware on your phone. When you get a message with a link that does not appear to make sense, simply delete the message or should you be certain that it is an authentic message, you should select the message and confirm with the sender before you are sure that the link is authentic. Such a basic warning can avoid a great number of cyberattacks.

Use strong passwords and enable screen locks

The first level of defense of your phone is a strong password or Pin. Using simple guessing codes like 1234 or memorable dates should be avoided. Another thing that is strongly suggested is the ability to use biometric locks such as fingerprint identification or face recognition to provide a deeper level of protection. These minor measures will go a very long way in minimising the possibility of unauthorised access by other individuals.

Keep your apps and phone updated

Consistent phone updates to the operating system and apps installed on it frequently include essential security patches to fix vulnerabilities that have been identified. It is preventive to ensure that your phone is safeguarded by known exploits as well as to have the device set on auto-update or to check the updates every few days.

Be cautious with public Wi-Fi

Open Wi-Fi networks, like the ones in cafes and airports, do not provide sufficient protection and may leave your information vulnerable to hackers on the network. You should always use a secure Virtual Private Network (VPN) to encrypt your connection in case you need to use a public Wi-Fi to make sure that your information is not intercepted.

Control app permissions carefully

A lot of apps want to get access to such personal phone features as your contacts, camera, or location. These permissions should be carefully reviewed and granted access should be given only to those permissions required by the functionality of the app. Restricting access lowers the chances of data abuse and assists in saving your privacy.

Final tips for maximum protection

• Maintain updated software in your phone to ensure the phone has the latest security features.

• Make use of powerful distinctive passwords and two-factor authentication (2FA) wherever attainable.

• Look out to download apps that are not offered in official app stores to eliminate malicious software.

• Screen lock and biometric authentication will provide fast but secure access to the screen.

• A good antivirus and security software should be used to scan possible threats via a reliable antivirus.

Phone security can only be ensured through constant attention and application of in-built features and best practices. With these tips, it is possible to greatly decrease the chances to become a victim of hackers and have a more secure mobile experience.

Disclaimer: The information regarding the gadgets/devices listed in the table and article has been sourced from various secondary sources. For detailed product specifications, please refer to the brand sources.