The importance of mobile security for our mobile devices in 2021

Almost everybody in a first-world country is likely to have a cell phone or a mobile device of some description, whether that be a tablet or a smartwatch. Many of us will have two or more of these. As a society, we are heavily reliant on our cell phones, which means that we have a lot of personal, sensitive data on them.

We have banking apps, we have our details for school and for work, and we might even have our medical records on there. Our digital identity is becoming the core of who we are in our society, and we're becoming more and more reliant on technology as every day passes - whether it is to remind us to pick up the kids, to automatically select our shopping, or just to tell us we've hit our step total for the day.

Staying protected

For this reason, we have to ensure that we keep our cell phones and other mobile devices well protected. Many of us are starting to live in smart homes now, meaning that everything is controlled by a computer over the internet. We control our heating from our phones and have voice-commanded assistants to control our security and electricity uses.

These kinds of things mean that our mobile security needs to be top of the range to even have a chance of competing with the rising threat of cybercrime across not only America but the whole world.

This is a serious issue that isn't often covered in the press. This might be because we're too busy being swept up in the fantastic progress of technology and the fast and incredible evolution of its convenience to us. Or, it might be because if people were more aware of the cyber threats that face us every day, they might have different expectations and standards from the companies who supply these tools. This is why cybersecurity is a vital tool for protecting our livelihoods.

What is the importance of cybersecurity?

Cybersecurity is a word most people associate with high-level government security rather than something that affects the man in the street. In reality, cybersecurity does play a big part in our day-to-day lives (although we might not be aware of it).

It protects our money and bank details when we look at our banking apps and make purchases online. It protects that transaction all the way through to the other end and keeps the details that we've given over to the business or company protected against those who would steal those details.

Cybersecurity is the barrier that protects cybercriminals from accessing our data and information anywhere it might be held. This can be anything from your email address to your medical records, your address, or your workplace.

If you were in any doubt regarding the importance of cybersecurity, think about it this way. We call the internet the web because, through one pathway or another, everything is connected. Hackers and cybercriminals take advantage of that by infiltrating one little strand of it and using all of the connected strands to gain more information to sell information or to take down their target.

When hackers or cybercriminals have enough information on somebody, they can see who is connected to them and can use that knowledge as leverage. Cybersecurity helps block this and attempts to stop the hackers from getting in as well as putting up barriers between each of the strands to stop unauthorized users from getting data they shouldn't.

What are the threats that cybersecurity will protect my cell phone and other mobile devices against?

Mobile security protects that data on your cell phone, that much we've covered. It protects your data by putting up anti-malware programs to keep your information safe. Malware can get into our phones through encrypted links sent via emails or text messages, often seemingly sent from websites or services we trust. The only way that the malware can get onto our cell phones or mobile devices is if we activate the link, as the service will remain dormant until the link has been opened.

Another way hackers can get into your device is through apps that we download. These can be apps that have very weak security levels or measures caused by the negligence of the app's owners, or the app is purposefully created, much like on an encrypted link on an email, to infiltrate your device.

Luckily, many app stores spot these types of apps and very quickly take them down to stop them from doing any harm to people's mobile devices.