How Students Can Protect Their Phones From Being Hacked
Modern students use plenty of gadgets in their everyday life. Yet, one of the most widely used devices is still their smartphone.
Students use their smartphones to the fullest. Namely, they can conduct research using this gadget. This means accessing a lot of different websites, not all of which might be secure. Also, students can buy essay on PaperWriter and use other academic help tools and services to support their studies. In this case, they want to retain complete privacy so that no one knows that they used extra help.
All in all, there are many reasons why students want to have their smartphones protected. The only question is how to do this effectively. Read on, and we will give you six handy tips that will keep your phone protected from hackers and other online threats.
Tweak Your Gadget’s Protection Features
These days, there is a growing demand for privacy and security. Due to this reason, manufacturers equip modern gadgets with a variety of safety features. To name a few, there are:
- Locking options, including face ID, fingerprint, or pin;
- Passwords for personal accounts;
- Two-factor authentication, etc.
The first tip for keeping your phone safe is to leverage all the available safety features. First of all, set up a strong lock-screen password. If possible, lock your screen with a fingerprint or face ID for more privacy. Also, don’t neglect the importance of enabling two-factor authentication and setting up strong passwords for your most important accounts. All these tips will help you strengthen your line of defense.
Install Security Software
This is another obvious tip for protecting your smartphone. Everyone knows that there is special security software designed to keep your gadgets safe from malicious software and files, as well as different types of hacker attacks. Yet, not every student bothers getting quality security software for their gadgets.
If you want to secure your private data, files, payments, and everything else, don’t neglect this tip. There are many different tools that you can try. Some of them are more expensive, but there are also many affordable options. Look for different options, compare them, and pick something that feels right for you. Just don’t go too cheap because not all security software is good enough to protect you.
Leverage a Solid VPN
As a student, you must be studying on the go and connecting your devices to a variety of public Wi-Fi networks. Be it on campus or in a nearby cafe, you can never be 100% confident that the networks you use are protected well. Thus, you should add an extra protection layer.
Using a powerful VPN can really help. Such tools mask your connection and online activity from hackers and, thus, secure your privacy. A good VPN will also protect you from snooping. This is especially crucial for students who store lots of personal information on their phones. And as a bonus, a VPN will help you access the content and sources that might be blocked in your university.
Get Software From Trusted Sources
One of the easiest ways for hackers to access or damage your devices is by making you willingly download malicious software. Everyone knows this. Yet, many users (especially younger ones) seem to disregard this fact.
If you want to retain your privacy and stay protected from hackers, always be very cautious about the sources of your software. Ideally, download apps only from official stores such as Google Play or App Store. The applications provided through such sources go through many levels of moderation, so the chances that you will download something malicious from them are close to zero.
On the other hand, if you download software and apps from unauthorized stores, there always will be a chance that your personal data will get into the wrong hands.
Also, even when downloading something from trusted sources, always look closely at the app descriptions and reviews. Despite rigorous moderation, malicious apps can still find their way into stores. So you should be very careful to stay safe.
Update and Clean Your Apps Regularly
The previous tip is applicable only to the new apps you get. As for the ones you already have, they can still bear some threats. Sometimes, hackers may attack popular apps to get a hold of users’ data. This becomes possible due to safety breaches and other bugs that are present in literally every software. But there are a few ways to minimize the risks.
First of all, clean your apps regularly. If there are many tools that you don’t use, just get rid of them.
As for the apps that you want to keep, be sure to update them regularly. If there are any bugs or breaches, the developers will always address and fix them in new versions of the app. Therefore, it’s important to update regularly.
Learn How to Lock or Wipe Your Phone
At the end of this guide, it’s important to note that not all hacker attacks take place when your device is with you. Often, hackers access your data after your phone is lost or stolen. In the case of such an emergency, the only thing you can do is lock or wipe your phone until someone can access the data and files stored on it.
So the last tip is to learn how to do it remotely for your particular model of smartphone. All manufacturers provide clear guides on what steps you should take in such situations. Be sure to take time to study these guides to have a plan B in any situation.
The Bottom Line
Spending plenty of time on your smartphone, we bet that you have a lot of personal information and files stored there. Losing it all can be not only disappointing but even dangerous.
In order to prevent identity theft and other unpleasant consequences, it’s crucial to know the basics of digital safety. Now, you have a few handy tips that will let you stay safe. Start using them right now to keep your phone protected!
