If you own a cell phone you already have this thought playing at the back of your mind that your phone is vulnerable to the evil designs of some hacker, whose face you haven’t yet seen or will never ever see. The hidden identity of a hacker only adds to the fear, making it more sinister.
It has become increasingly common to hear and learn of cell phones getting hacked remotely, and sensitive data being pilfered in the process. You can use the following as preliminary suggestions to protect your cell phone from nosy hackers:
Use a password lock to protect your cell phone
Passwords are sometimes the most secure of all locks for your cell phone. But do not waste this golden opportunity by using passwords that can be easily guessed even by a teenager. Try and make the password as hard to guess as you can. It is best to avoid obvious ones like your name, names of your kids or spouse or your date of birth. Try using ‘tougher to break combinations’ like an odd word, with varying case for some letters and some odd number or punctuation mark in the mix.
Don’t leave your Bluetooth turned on at all times
You have the facility of turning the Bluetooth facility on your phone, on and off. The consequence of a small act of oversight for failing to turn it off after use can turn out to be quite enormous. Remember that your Bluetooth is the gateway to your phone’s data and leaving it on at all times is like literally leaving the doors wide open for any interested hacker to invite himself/herself to hack your phone.
Also, do not agree to accept data shared by someone whom you do not know very well.
Keep your anti-virus software updated at all times
You can easily get access to robust anti-virus software for your cell phone. But softwares keep getting updated at frequent intervals, and it is your responsibility to check for latest updates and ensure your version is up-to-date at all times. No matter how efficient an anti-virus software is, using the older versions is a huge threat to the security of your cell phone. Updates are created with an intention to rectify any known security issues, errors or problems that the older version displayed.
Say no to all data from strangers
Sometimes you receive an SMS, MMS or some other file that seem to originate from some unknown number. At times you also receive e-mails with an interesting or urgent message in the subject line from someone whom you do not recognize. Do not ever make the mistake of clicking and opening such messages, because it is possible for hackers to automatically download and install virus on your phone when you do so.
Hackers are technologically very sound but you need not make their job easier by leaving the doors wide open for them. Use the tips suggested in this post with determination and you will hopefully not be among those whose cell phones got hacked. You could also learn further information to protect your cell phone. Your manufacturer’s safety instructions should cover these and other strategies to protect your cell phone from hackers.
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