Being a user of a smartphone or tablet, you face a wide variety of security risks every day. From the simplest, such as the loss or theft of device, to the most complex, such as malware attacks, the most sophisticated your mobile devices are constantly facing threats that can have serious consequences. 

Mobile device security is no longer optional. There are millions of programs that try to steal your personal data data, να κρυπτογραφήσουν τα αρχεία σας ή να πάρουν τον πλήρη έλεγχο της συσκευής σας.

What are the main risks for mobile devices?

Mobile phones are vulnerable to many risks. Let's look at the most common ones:

Malicious applications

Malicious applications, which can be installed on the device without the user's knowledge and cause serious damage. A malicious Application may appear as a legitimate and popular program to trick you into installing it on your device. There are many kinds of malicious apps that can do different damage to your smartphone. There are the adwarethat bombard you with advertisements, the spyware that monitor your activity, the info-stealer that steal data, banking trojans that focus on stealing bank details and many others.

See also: Phishing emails: how to recognise them and how to protect yourself?

Malware infection

Your smartphone may be infected with a mobile malware, which may cause data loss, interfere with the operation of the device and cause device malfunctions, and more.

Risks of accessing unsafe sites

The security problems related to the Accessed at on unsafe websites, can lead to the installation of malware or reveal personal information.

Phishing attacks

The attacks phishing are designed to deceive users in order to disclose their credentials or other sensitive information. Attackers may send emails or SMS with malicious links to accomplish the above.

Wi-Fi

Finally, mobile phones are also vulnerable to attacks via Wi-Fi, where attackers can interfere with data traffic or monitor user communications. This is even more likely if you are connected to a public network Wi-Fi.

Vulnerabilities

Attackers can take advantage of possible vulnerabilities in devices to take control of them.

See also: Phishing attacks: What are they and how do hackers usually attack?

Ransomware

Ransomware can affect mobile devices in addition to computers. Ransomware encrypts files and directories, locks you out of your phone and requires payment in cryptocurrency to give you a decryption key.

How to protect yourself

Protecting your mobile device requires taking basic security measures.

The first step is to make sure that the operating system and all applications are up to date.

These updates often include fixes Security, which address vulnerabilities that hackers could use. 

Then, the installation of a strong security software is also an important part of protecting your device. There are many options, but the key is to find one that protects against viruses, malware and other threats, while not significantly affecting the performance of your device. 

In addition it is important to use strong passwords to all your accounts and, where possible, Control ID card two factors (2FA). A strong code consists of a combination of letters, numbers and characters. As far as 2FA is concerned, it refers to an extra password that must be entered after the regular password to gain access. This one-time password can come to your mobile phone via SMS or through an authenticator app and makes it difficult for hackers to get into the account even if the regular password has been stolen.

See also: Gaming & Cybersecurity: risks and ways to protect yourself

Very basic is to be careful with the applications you download. It is important to check the permissions an application asks for before you install it, as malicious applications can require access to more information than they really need. Also, as mentioned above, malicious apps are associated with infecting the mobile device with various types of malware. 

Be careful with the messages, the emails and the calls you receive. Attackers may impersonate your friends or well-known services and companies to get information from you. Don't give out personal or financial information over the phone and don't click on attachments or links in messages you don't expect.

Still, avoid connecting the device to a public WiFi network, as your activity may be monitored. If you need to log in, do not enter personal and banking details credentials.

Finally, use a PIN or a biometric authentication method to lock your device so that no one can open it. In addition to digital threats, there are also physical threats!