Phone Security Best Practices to Protect Your Mobile Data

Learn how Adaptive Multi-Factor Authentication combats data breaches, weak passwords, and phishing attacks.

Smartphone security practices help you defend your devices against malicious actors that hope to steal your data or gain access to your company's confidential information.

Think about all the information you store deep within your phone. And now, think about all of the data you can access with a few taps on your screen. Smartphone security steps ensure that you're the only one who can use these two sources of information.

4 known cell phone security threats

Creating a secure mobile environment begins with understanding the risks you face. Just having a handheld device can open you up to hacking threats. But you can keep them from impacting your everyday life. 

These are four well-known mobile phone security threats:

  • Applications: Open up the app store on your phone, and you'll see plenty of enticing programs that make your device better. Unfortunately, some of them come with security problems. For example, many Android apps contained malware designed to steal banking information, and screeners didn't catch that issue before the programs showed up in the store.
     
  • Networks: Do you connect to the internet via WiFi hookups? Do you use Bluetooth to latch your device to things like headphones or speakers? Both of these access points could allow hackers to tap into your phone and take over.
     
  • Theft: It’s estimated that thieves steal more than 70 million cell phones annually. Anyone who has physical possession of your cell phone could steal data from you.
     
  • Websites: Phishing email messages can entrap you into giving up access. And malware embedded in website assets like links and photos could steal even more.

These are just some of the risks you can thwart with strong phone security practices. 

10 smartphone security tips for users 

Whether you're using a company device or one of your own, it's wise to think about what you can do to keep data safe and secure. These are a few good places to start.

Enhance your phone security with these tools:

  • App distrust: Research before you install an app or program on your phone. Check out the developer. Read reviews. And perform a quick web search to see if others have privacy concerns about this product.
     
  • Biometrics: Move past a password and use something like a fingerprint to unlock your phone.
     
  • Bluetooth: Turn off this capability when you're not using it. And when you are, perform quick checks to see what you're linking to.
     
  • Charging: So-called "juice jacking" involves loading malware onto public charging stations. If you plug into a corrupted charger, you could install malware onto your device. Keep a battery-powered device with you to charge on the go.
     
  • Data encryption: Don't send sensitive information as attachments from your phone. Encrypt it first, or wait until you're on a protected line.