The
smart-phone has evolved into an integral part of life. Think about it, how many
times do you use your phone for some task in single day? Numerous times I
suppose. Yet, for a device that is so important, It is shocking... the mistakes
people make.....that I find myself making on smart-phones without even thinking about it
and the unnecessary exposure to security risks. Smart phones are great! Don't
get me wrong..they allow us to do price shopping without actually going to
multiple stores as well as viewing reviews on a potential purchase by other
people, but there are a number of things that we just shouldn't do with our
smart-phones.
The following is a run-down of some of the most common smart-phone
mistakes.
Storing Sensitive Data
On Your Phone
I don't think I'll
ever understand why some people insecurely store credit card PINs, bank passwords,
social security numbers and other such sensitive data on their phones. In the
event your phone is stolen, it wouldn’t take a genius to figure out that a four
digit number stored as a phone contact is a PIN to one of your accounts. With a
bit more digging, a clever crook can mess up your life in ways that you may
never be unable to do the damage
Simply
Tapping On Links
According to security experts, smart-phone users are more
susceptible to phishing attacks than desktop users. They tend to be less
vigilant about security. It is harder to spot a fake login page on a smart-phone
than on a computer. Further, shortened URLs make it harder to detect
illegitimate addresses. The best defense is to avoid clicking on links sent via
SMS or instant messaging apps. Also, always open email links using your
computer. The same goes for links supplied by your friends on social media like
Linked-in and Facebook. As we move away from the mainstream use of laptops and
desktops, hackers and villains alike are writing more and more malicious code
to run on smart-phones and tablets. If you don't know where the link is
going...DON'T CLICK ON IT!
