Tips for Keeping Your Digital Device Safe From Cybercriminals

Tips for Keeping Your Digital Device Safe from Cybercriminals

People run their lives on their smartphones, tablets and other digital devices. They make payments on them, transfer money to other people, make dates, deal with appointments and chat to people through various apps and social media. So much information can go through a digital device that a hacker or cybercriminal could soon know every little detail about your life and steal your identity or empty your bank account. However, there are some steps you can take to lower the risk of this happening, and here are a few tips that might help.

Perform Updates

The same applies with updates for digital devices as it does for computers. They are often issued because of a security issue, and you should install an update as soon as it appears. A large proportion of hacks happen because they are able to access your data through a hole that has not been plugged, and utilizing updates as they appear will close those holes and make it harder for hackers to get in.

You may also want to consider downloading some free forensic software which includes some of the most commonly used forensic disc tools and data capture tools which will allow you to capture images and data for preservation.

Take Care with What You Install

When you download a new app, you may well be asked if you will grant various permissions such as reading your files or access to your microphone or camera. There can be legitimate reasons for this, but it will also open up your device to hackers. Be careful who you allow these permissions to, especially if your device is android because Google’s vetting processes are not as strict as those of Apple.

You should also avoid installing apps from sites you are not familiar with as you could easily download a rogue app without realizing it. Tools such as McAfee and Avast will alert you if you are downloading an app that could be malicious.

Secure Your Device

If someone steals your smartphone, they could do an enormous amount of damage. You should make it difficult for anyone to access it and change passwords often. There are several options you can take, but some of them might seem a bit drastic. For instance, you could set your phone to automatically erase all data if more than a certain number of attempts to access it are made. Both Apple and Google operate a ‘find-my-phone’ service, where your phone can be located on a map. You can also remotely lock or erase your phone with these services.

Be Someone Else

There is a lot of information about you on your social media accounts. If a hacker gets hold of your date of birth and information such as your mother’s maiden name, they can access things on your devices and change the passwords. This will deny you future access and could let them into bank accounts. One way around this is to use other details on your social media accounts. As long as they are different from your bank accounts and anything else holding your private information, hackers will not be able to use them to their advantage.

Securing your digital devices is as important as securing your computer. Keep the hackers and cybercriminals out of your affairs by following these tips.