How To Ensure Safety On Your Smartphone

Risks To Your Safety

 

There are multiple instances when we process sensitive data on our smartphones. First, our smart devices have a multitude of sensors (cameras, microphones, GPS, NFC) that can record and transmit sensitive data.  Second, the synchronization occurring between different devices and between devices and clouds (including credit card information or passwords for various websites) transform smartphones into vulnerable gateways to our individual digital mini-worlds.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Lzu4IJkOYwbgvuOQ6swRZEXQIQK3k2X6ZhsfQoRJuh5MnoEFx3Lc7vvVDlQGMYdz_9ulz6sVEY3pg6TAHPcp5NOVYzfs2I4CQZEUP07yShFlI3FzhPrPgyVNr3cYReeTic38xZvx

The problem gets even more serious when financial information is involved, like when playing in an online casino from your smartphone. Normally, the best online casinos have safe payment procedures, but this does not guarantee that your device is not hacked and either financial data or login credentials are stolen or that your traffic is intercepted. Obviously, this applies many other situations, like when donating to a crowdfunding platform, shopping on eBay, managing your online banking account, etc.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/sy6N9jVrNV_9utgPZCtk6JV1dMR8nLe-2gdd4AbBfGxsLKYIDMgEYhLp5BMSENUPuku7RxOE_1jUnqtmE6tU251L8sqOL6c-f8gMVMslwa8vbpbWawZAOGmiTE16LIcfpBkgBqlC

Antivirus Software

 

The first answer to this spectrum of risks is a good antivirus software. While many manufacturers do integrate many antivirus functions in their hardware, firmware, or as standalone apps, their quality or functionality might often be inadequate or insufficient, suggesting that a better option is to install a top antivirus from the respective app market.

An antivirus would constantly be on alert for detecting:

●       viruses,

●       Trojans,

●       worms,

●       malicious websites,

●       phishing attempts and spam in your email account.

Despite implementing many heuristic approaches, an antivirus is still vulnerable to potential new threats which are not described in its constantly actualized database. Consequently, new types of ingenious viruses can bypass all these defenses and enter your system to do damage. Thus, besides antiviruses, there is also need of a preventive solution.

 

VPNs For Online Privacy and Safe Browsing

 

A VPN encrypts all your traffic and routes it through dedicated servers whose IP address you take as an online user. The main results are online anonymity but also the fact that third parties (like hackers or the ISP) cannot access your web traffic, even on public WiFi networks. Thus, it is a very good idea to install a free or paid VPN app from the store and activate it in case you need to make a payment on a network that you do not completely trust.

Keep in mind however, than not all sites would allow you to use VPNs, since many would need to ensure that you are accessing them from a valid IP address from a given country or region. Thus, there were occasional reports of  account bans enforced by PayPal when users tried to access them through VPNs. But such situations are relatively rare.

Conclusion

In order to achieve a comprehensive protection for your device, it is most wise to combine the power of both these entirely distinct but complementary and compatible solutions - antiviruses and VPNs.  An antivirus is essential for comprehensive safety, while a VPN is important both for safety and online privacy (which is another form of safety).