Securing your mobile device

Have you ever been out of the house or in a long commute and realize you left your mobile device at home? You know that feeling like you are suddenly disconnected from the world? Like you cannot make it to the end of the day without your device… Yeah, that’s the one I’m talking about. Mobile devices have such an impact on the humankind that our entire world lies in those screens.

Mobile devices are arguably the most talked about invention of this century. They can act as a networked computer, data storage device, navigational device. It can also act as a mobile bank and a social network hub while also capturing pictures of memorable moments and much more. Its wonderful having all these functionalities and so much information at your fingertips but it also makes these devices a target for hackers.

According to research made by Statista, Mobile devices accounts for approximately half of web traffic worldwide. In the first quarter of 2021, mobile devices (excluding tablets) generated 54.8 percent of global website traffic, consistently hovering around the 50 percent mark since the beginning of 2017. Another research made by Statista reveals in 2021, the number of mobile users worldwide stood at 7.1 billion, with forecasts suggesting this is likely to rise to 7.26 billion by 2022. In 2025, the number of mobile users worldwide is projected to reach 7.49 billion.

These astonishing figures only confirms the necessity of taking phone security and mobile security threats more seriously. Mobile devices are just as vulnerable as PCs and other types of computer hardware. They are exposed to threats in the form of malware, social engineering, web attacks, network attacks, and physical theft.

McAfee in their “Mobile Threat Report 2021” detected a 141 percent increase in Banking Trojan activity between Q3 and Q4 2020. Hackers are constantly trying to lure unsuspecting victims into clicking of phishing links, downloading fake apps and trojans. These cyber criminals will keep creating tactics to bypass mobile security in order to execute their cyber threat activities for the sake of one common goal, which is to maximize their income and profits. Some of these trojans Masquerades as legitimate apps to take full control of your device by abusing accessibility services and they could also monitor keystroke, record screen, capture screen lock info etc.

While threat tactics continue to change as criminals adapt and try to avoid detection, the big question is, are you doing everything possible to protect your mobile devices? The following is a list of tips we recommend;

Always update your phone’s Operating System regularly or when prompted.
Don’t download apps from third-party sites because cybercriminals create fake or spoofed apps to trick people into downloading malware or spyware onto their device.
Audit your apps to see what information they are accessing. Many malicious apps get the access they need by asking the user to grant them permission to use unrelated privileges and settings.
Enable two–factor authentication (2FA) for your important apps, like mobile banking apps and peer-to-peer payment apps.
Install antivirus software on mobile devices and take advantage of built-in mobile security features.
Use VPN If you must connect your phone to public Wi-Fi and Encrypt hotspots from being used by other devices.
Avoid clicking email links, even if you think the sender is familiar.
Avoid device rooting or jailbreaking because even though this process that gives you complete access of your device, it removes some security features put in place by the manufacturers.
Always lock your phone when not in use with a strong pin or password.
Always Back up your phone’s data.
Do not save passwords in your browser and avoid using the same passwords for different accounts.