Smartphones are little computers. Because of this, hackers try to steal personal data and compromise our general security using different tools. It’s very important to avoid mistakes in order to secure our information. However we usually make use of the Smartphone in ways that endanger our personal data. In this guide we explore three of the most common situations where we put our devices at risk.
You need to take into account that mobile phones have all our information. We use them to send messages and mails, to pay for services or download multimedia files. If we make a mistake we are severely exposing our security.
Actions you shouldn’t do that endanger your Smartphone
If you avoid these errors you can greatly improve your Smartphone security. It doesn’t mean that you will be 100% secure, there’s no way to guarantee that. But you can take some measures to minimize risks. The main mistakes of these guide endanger your Smartphone but it’s common to make these mistakes unnoticed. You can also use a good antivirus and have all your apps updated to fix any error or vulnerability.
Grant excessive permissions to different apps
The most common mistake is giving apps permissions that they don’t need. For example, an app may ask for access to your contacts, camera, images and browsing data. Some apps genuinely require this information, but in other cases it’s a trap. The best way to avoid this error is reviewing the permissions you grant for each app before installation.
You always have to think that the app may be spying on you and sending your personal data to some unknown server. In the newest Android versions the system removes the permissions if you don’t use the app regularly. This forces us to give permissions again in case we want to use the app. It’s a feature to maintain the security of the Smartphone in terms of app permissions and prevents you having an app spying on us with the newest updates.
Installing apps from unknown sources and endanger your Smartphone
The installation of apps from non-official sources is another common mistake. When you download the APK files from unknown links you may be exposing your Smartphone to danger. Nevertheless, you should never install apps from links obtained through social media or emails.
The best way to download apps is to use the official websites or the Google Play Store, where Android performers several analysis to prevent virus infection. Again, it’s not possible to obtain 100% guarantees but it’s uncommon for malware apps to slip through all the security layers. If you install apps directly from unknown APK files you increase the risk for your device.
Connect to Internet through public networks
Another common error we commit and endanger our Smartphone is connecting to Internet using public networks. This is very common if you travel a lot and use airport or train stations or even coffee shop’s Internet. A public Wi-Fi network may expose your personal data to several users.
In order to avoid problems you should connect to public networks using a VPN. These programs encrypt your connection to maintain the privacy settings. Your Smartphone data will be hidden and everything you do on the Internet won’t be seen by third parties. There are lots of VPN providers, some of them for free and other available through subscription methods.
Among the best free VPN services you can find Cloudflare’s WARP or Google One VPN. In the commercial section there are alternatives such as Surfshark, Privado VPN, PureVPN or NordVPN, among others.
These are the three most repeated mistakes and security problems that endanger your Smartphone. If you want to protect your personal data and the integrity of your device, don’t forget the antivirus and security software and be careful with what you install.
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