Your phone is one of your most prized possessions. It’s not because of its cost; your computer, and probably even your console and TV, are more expensive than that.
However, the content of your phone has some of the most important personal info. It also has you logged into apps that contain your bank accounts, private chats, and even medical records.
With that in mind, you need to learn how to reduce (or at least limit) risky behavior. These habits expose your most important device to risks and unnecessary harm. Here are five such risky behaviors to avoid.
1 – Using VPN and Antivirus
The right selection of software can drastically improve the overall security of your phone. There are two major types of software that you should use to keep your phone safe: VPN and antivirus.
Using a VPN offers encryption, which means that it adds an extra layer of protection during all forms of communication that you engage in. Most IM services that you’re using already have their own encryption, but some extra won’t hurt.
The use of a VPN also helps you bypass geo-restrictions. This means that you can watch content unavailable in your areas and even avoid some local censorship (and algorithmic feed manipulation). Choosing a VPN may seem like a challenge, but the truth is that there are not too many VPNs specific for Android devices. Regardless of which you choose, Jacob O’Shea recommends you look for 256-bit encryption, fast and secure VPN protocol options, a kill switch, and a strong no-log policy.
You must also get an antivirus for your phone (not just your PC). The problem with this is that while a lot of people have heard of antivirus (and use it on their other devices), they don’t have it on their phones.
Keep all these platforms updated at all times since this is the only way they provide adequate protection.
2 – Paying attention to a network before you access it
While every guide will tell you to avoid using public networks, everyone knows that this is really not an option. Imagine sitting in a park or in a coffee place waiting for a friend who is late. Meanwhile, you get the idea to visit your favorite crypto casino and play a few spins while waiting for them to arrive.
Now, you don’t want to use your SIM data, which means that you’ll look for free Wi-Fi to use. So, instead of imposing a restriction that you definitely won’t honor, here are a few tips that will help you pick the safest networks available.
First, you should read the name of the network and use intuition. Public parks and most coffee places have their own Wi-Fi, but it’s always named intuitively. Signal strength and some other factors will show you if it’s genuine or if something suspicious is taking place.
You can also ask the waiting staff for a password. This is the best-case scenario where the network is locked, and the password is written on the menu or in the possession of a waiting staff. This is how you know that the network is legit.
3 – Not letting anyone touch your phone
This is supposed to be common sense but there are a lot of scenarios in which these things get a bit blurry.
Just remember that your phone has all your information on it, from your mBanking app and money-saving apps all the way to your private gallery and social media platforms (that you’re already logged into).
In other words, allowing someone to use your phone makes as much sense as allowing someone to use your toothbrush (you know, just this one time since they forgot their own).
The problem is that they’ll usually approach you with a sad story that you’re likely to fall for. They’ll tell you that they’ve just suffered an accident and need to contact their emergency (or call the first responders). They’ll play a sympathy card and ask you to give them the phone.
When they take your phone, they can either make a run for it or install a keylogger/spy app. This takes a few seconds, doesn’t appear in your menu, and could harvest enough information to ruin your life effectively.
In these scenarios, there are only a handful of things you can do. First, you can always say “No!” If this doesn’t feel right, you can offer to be the one to call or send a message. If they refuse… even if they seem to be in distress, something’s fishy.
4 – Understanding all types of phishing
Everyone knows about phishing, but there are various types, some of which you might not be familiar with.
First of all, you have regular phishing, where someone sends you an email or a message to your DM with a link that you have to follow. Since most people read emails on their phone (and almost all of them chat via phone), this is a piece of advice that is more tightly tied to phone security than you may assume.
Second, you have the so-called smishing. This is a scenario where you receive this same email via SMS. The thing is that while this is supposed to be more suspicious (after all, who sends links via SMS) for a lot of people, this is (paradoxically) too weird to be suspicious. They assume that this is some sort of a bug since they usually don’t associate SMS with hackers (even if they do recognize that there are a lot of scammers present on this medium).
Then, you have vishing. This is phishing via phone calls. Just think about it: if they convince you to follow a link or give your personal information (which is the main objective of most forms of phishing), they’ve completed their goal.
Don’t make assumptions about what phishing is “supposed to look like.” There’s no such thing.
5 – Keeping your phone in your front pocket
So far, we’ve mostly addressed hacking attacks. Even though we briefly mentioned that someone might ask to use your phone and then run away with it, the majority of that section focused on issues like installing a spy app on your phone. Now, let’s talk about the physical dangers of having your phone stolen or pickpocketed.
First, a lot of people keep their phones in their back pocket. This is a hazardous behavior, and just switching the phone to your front pocket will reduce the chance of it being pickpocketed. Sure, this is a hazardous form of behavior that you’ll somehow have to learn to avoid.
Others carry their phones in their hand. This sounds like the most secure of ideas, but you overestimate the tightness of your grip, especially in scenarios where you don’t expect someone passing by (or riding on a Vespa) just to snatch it from your hand. If you did, you might clutch to it harder, but you don’t, and you won’t.
Lastly, there’s a massive trend of people leaving their phones on their coffee shop tables or at a bar. It doesn’t take much to explain why this is a good idea and how easy it is for someone to snatch it from the table.
You can’t afford to have your device fall into the wrong hands
Regardless of its physical or digital harm, the security of your device is one of the most important things for any modern person. Therefore, even if you don’t take extra steps to ensure the safety of your devices, just knowing what to avoid can already make a huge difference.
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