Hacking: Keeping your phone safe
I am due to upgrade my phone soon which I am excited about but I am unsure which handset to get. I will probably look at insurance for it too. This, however, is not the sort of keeping your phone safe I am talking about today. I am talking about phone hacking. Something we often don’t think about until it is too late, but should be considered from the outset.
How can your phone be hacked?
Public WiFi can easily be used by hackers to steal your passwords and details. If you use public WiFi, then be sure to never enter passwords, and if in doubt of the security of the public WiFi, then use your mobile data or use a VPN to help ensure your data is passed in an encrypted way only.
It may cost a little more than the free WiFi, but you won’t have problems dealing with being hacked! Identity theft is a nightmare, and I imagine this is similar!
Don’t click links you do not recognise or expect. There are so many hackers who send links to tell you that you have won something, and click this link to confirm your identity, etc. These links could easily be a way into your phone from hackers. Even if they are not, they are likely to inundate you with spam at the very least!
There are so many other ways you can be hacked and not even realise. Remember it isn’t always someone remotely in another country that hacks you, it could be someone on the next table in a café! I used to be too trusting, but now I have a large data allowance and very rarely use public WiFi.
Ensuring your phone does not automatically log into public WiFi can make a huge difference. For example, when you are driving, think of all the cafes you pass. If your phone logs into one automatically as you are parked at traffic lights, you might be, without realising, putting your phone at risk.
What to do if you are a victim of phone hacking
If you think your phone has been hacked, then the way to get control of your phone back completely is relatively simple.
You need to go through your phone and make sure there is nothing on there you do not recognise. Any apps you do not recognise, delete.
Check through every bit of your settings menu and ensure all the permissions are ones you are comfortable with.
Change passwords to secure apps, for example, PayPal, your banking app, shopping apps etc.
Check your lock screen and ensure that even when your phone is locked, there is nothing a hacker could read to get information from you.
Have you ever had your phone hacked? Is phone hacking something you worry about for yourself, or perhaps elderly parents, or children’s phones? Try not to worry, but instead look at practical things you can do to reduce the risks. Ensuring vulnerable people are aware of the risks and what they should do to reduce these risks plays an important part in this in my opinion.
Is there anything you would like to add about phone hacking and your experiences? Let me know in the comments below.
