Ep7: Securing Your SmartPhone

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Welcome back to another edition of Byte Sized Security, your source

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for bite-sized cybersecurity lessons.

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I'm your host Marc David, and with me today I have mobile

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security expert Savannah Hill.

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Our smartphones contain massive amounts of personal data and access,

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making mobile security critical.

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Savannah is joining me to provide tangible tips on keeping your mobile

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devices safe from hackers, malware, data theft and unauthorized access.

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Whether you use an iPhone or Android, you’ll walk away with actions you

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can take to boost your mobile safety.

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Savannah, so great to have you here.

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Can you start by giving us an overview of the major mobile security

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risks smartphone users face today?

Carla: 00:00:34

Happy to be here!

Carla: 00:00:35

Mobile devices like smartphones and tablets have become tempting targets

Carla: 00:00:38

for cybercriminals because of all the sensitive information they contain - think

Carla: 00:00:43

contacts, photos, messages, app data, and access to your online accounts.

Carla: 00:00:47

Two major risks are malware infections that can steal data, and thieves cracking

Carla: 00:00:51

into devices if they’re lost or stolen.

Carla: 00:00:54

But with some reasonable precautions, mobile users can

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greatly reduce their exposure.

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Excellent context, let’s start walking through some key

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actions people can take, beginning with device access controls.

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What role do locks and biometrics play in mobile security?

Carla: 00:01:07

Absolutely, restricting physical access is crucial.

Carla: 00:01:10

I always recommend using the strongest screen lock available

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for your device, rather than no lock or just swipe patterns.

Carla: 00:01:16

For most modern smartphones, this means enabling a fingerprint reader or facial

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recognition for quick, secure unlocking.

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Strong passwords or longer numeric PINs also work if biometrics aren’t an option.

Carla: 00:01:28

The lock makes it vastly harder for anyone who gets hold of

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your device to access the data.

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What are your thoughts on users backing up their mobile

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data like contacts and photos?

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Does that play a role in the security equation?

Carla: 00:01:39

Backing up your mobile data is critical, for both security and having a

Carla: 00:01:42

redundancy if devices fail or get lost.

Carla: 00:01:45

I suggest regularly backing up photos, contacts, documents and

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anything valuable to cloud storage like iCloud or Google Drive.

Carla: 00:01:52

You can also back up locally to a computer or external drive using

Carla: 00:01:56

iTunes or Android file transfer.

Carla: 00:01:58

This protects all your info if your phone is damaged, lost or wiped.

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That’s an excellent habit I need to get better about myself.

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Let’s talk about malware next, what steps can mobile users take to avoid infections?

Carla: 00:02:09

Malware on mobile largely spreads through untrustworthy app

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downloads, just like on computers.

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So I advise installing apps only from the official Apple and Google app stores,

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where there is more stringent vetting.

Carla: 00:02:19

Avoid “sideloading” from unverified sources, which is riskier.

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Also only grant app permissions to access contacts, location, as truly needed.

Carla: 00:02:28

And keep your device OS and apps up-to-date, since updates

Carla: 00:02:30

often patch security flaws.

Carla: 00:02:32

You can enable auto-updates for your phone and I strongly recommend you do that.

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What about using mobile antivirus software as an additional precaution?

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Is that overkill or recommended?

Carla: 00:02:41

Mobile antivirus can provide an added layer of protection, especially

Carla: 00:02:45

for Android users since Google Play isn’t as tightly vetted as Apple’s App Store.

Carla: 00:02:49

Look for highly rated options like Malwarebytes, AVG Antivirus, and Norton

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that can scan for malware and risky apps.

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But antivirus shouldn’t replace precautions like safe app downloads.

Carla: 00:02:59

Think of it as supplemental for those wanting maximum mobile protection.

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Let’s shift to safe web browsing.

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What risks exist on mobile, and how can we browse more securely?

Carla: 00:03:08

Mobile browsers pose many of the same risks as desktop - malicious sites,

Carla: 00:03:12

phishing attacks, unsecured connections.

Carla: 00:03:14

I’d recommend deleting unneeded browser cookies and history routinely

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to wipe potentially cached malware.

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Use the private or incognito browsing mode when accessing sensitive

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sites, like banking, to keep that activity out of your main browser.

Carla: 00:03:26

And when on public Wi Fi, use a trusted VPN app to encrypt your

Carla: 00:03:30

connection and prevent snooping.

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What about the risk of mobile devices getting physically lost or stolen?

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How can users prepare for that possibility?

Carla: 00:03:37

That’s always a concern with small, portable devices.

Carla: 00:03:40

Two things I recommend are enabling remote wipe capabilities, and

Carla: 00:03:44

setting up device location tracking.

Carla: 00:03:46

Remote wipe allows you to securely erase all data if a device is lost.

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And location tracking apps like Find My iPhone or Android Device Manager

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let you pinpoint a missing phone.

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Also set a lock screen message with your contact details such as email or a

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phone number but not your home address, so an honest finder can return it.

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For users really serious about mobile security, are there any advanced

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steps you recommend beyond the basics?

Carla: 00:04:09

A few additional protections come to mind, like setting up a VPN

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for all mobile traffic to encrypt it.

Carla: 00:04:14

For rooted Android users, running a mobile security suite like AVG Zen

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provides advanced malware scanning.

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And enterprise mobile management tools from vendors like VMware offer robust

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security controls for corporate devices.

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But for most mobile users, the steps we’ve covered like strong locks, safe browsing

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and backups provide excellent security.

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This has been an extremely helpful mobile bite sized security

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mini class for our listeners.

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Any final words of wisdom before we wrap up?

Carla: 00:04:40

I would just remind people that consistent vigilance is key.

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Revisit your security protections periodically as new risks emerge,

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and keep device OS and apps updated.

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And of course, contact mobile providers immediately if

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devices are lost or compromised.

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Outstanding tips, thank you for sharing your mobile security insights!

Carla: 00:04:58

My pleasure, thanks for having me!

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That concludes this Byte Sized Security edition focused on keeping your

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smartphones and tablets more secure.

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Enable strong locks, limit app permissions, use antivirus judiciously,

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browse safely, and back up your data.

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Take the time to implement mobile safeguards, and you’ll reap the

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benefits of greater online safety.

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We’ll see you next time!