New smartphone or tablet for Christmas?

23 Jan 2014

Whilst these devices have many benefits, they also carry some risks.

If your smartphone or tablet falls into the wrong hands it’s a potential treasure trove of information and if you download a rogue application, it’s even possible for hackers to hijack your device without it leaving your side. 

Here are some tips to help keep your data and your device safe and secure:

1.  Ensure your devices are locked with a long and strong password – this helps to prevent unwanted access to your data.
2. Set up or register devices with a remote locate and wipe facility in the event of a loss or theft.
3. Be careful of untrusted connections, for example open wi-fi networks in public areas – it’s possible for someone to intercept your connection and look at what you’re doing.
4. Update the operating system and applications frequently – mobile devices are vulnerable to viruses and malware that can compromise personal information if you don’t keep up to date.
5. Don’t “jailbreak” or “root” the device as this can undermine security settings.
6. Only download applications from official and trusted app stores. Be extremely careful of using untrusted sources.
7. Read the information about the app before you upload it – check you’re happy about the personal information it will use, or other data on your device it will access.
8. If you’re disposing of any old devices, delete the data first and use the “factory reset” option on the device.

28^th January is Data Protection Day

Take some time to review your mobile device security and visit https://www.getsafeonline.org/smartphones-tablets/