It’s been a couple of months since I shared some helpful stories; today, I will share how you can secure your phone, which is the most essential device. I always believe that there is a solution when there is a problem. I know there is a significant spike in Spam calls, and Spam text messages these spam text messages more dangerous than they appear. A few thumb rules to protect yourself are:
1. Never put your details in the Voice mailbox greeting.
2. Never call back if you get a missed call from unidentified numbers. If you did that, it is possible at the other end; they can see your Caller ID. (If you want to call back, you can hide your caller ID and make a call, this option might vary depending on the service provider).
3. Make sure your phone firmware and security patches are up-to-date.
4. Don’t root your phone to install third-party apps (Apps that are not officially published into respective app stores).
5. Regularly visit your phone settings to improve your privacy (remove permissions that have not been used for a while, such as remove permissions for location, Mic, Camera, etc.).
6. Reboot your phone a couple of days once. This can help kill any background apps or programs running.
7. Reset your phone to factory settings a couple of months once and reinstall (don’t restore from your phone backup). This way, you can remove any apps which might be using your data even when you are not using them, and also, we install apps that we need and force us to remove all unused apps.
8. Avoid connecting your phone to charging docs in public places.
9. Avoid connecting to public hotspots, especially those unsecured.
10. Have an extra layer of authentication for every app on your phone. (Apps such as wallet, Banking apps, Email apps, and Messaging Apps).
11. Ensure to use secure browsers all the time (browsers that are privacy oriented, such as Brave and Firefox Focus)
12. Stay on trusted VNP (most USA Telecom providers offer this as an added feature).
13. Some home internet providers, such as Comcast, Verizon, and AT&T, offer hotspots with VPN options; when you are outside the home network, you can have your mobile connect to home internet provider hotspots with VPN enabled automatically.
14. Use strong passwords (maybe using password managers offered by your phones or 3rd party password managers); these even have advanced features that can show potentially duplicated passwords or leaked account alerts.
15. Service providers (Telecom) offer spam filter apps/options as part of regular service plans. Check with your service provider to have that app running on your device. (Ex: T-mobile Spam Shield, ATT ActiveArmor, Verizon Cal Filter)
16. Use virtual phone numbers for stores or other businesses. Keep your original number reserved for banking/financial and other essential communications, such as medical, work, family, and close friends.
Disclaimer: I am not getting any referral rewards or affiliate money for these recommendations; these recommendations are based on my experience.
My picks: MSDefender, Phone by Google (for Android phones), Authenticator (For two-factor authentication, Google Authenticator, Microsoft Authenticator, and iPhone Native 2-factor authenticator).
Whether you use iPhone or Android, security and privacy must be your top priority.
