It is pretty simple to notice a change in company behaviour when it comes to how they market their smartphones. Remember how manufacturers relied on bigger cameras, and that was their USP? The same is the case with mobile security now— be it through hardware or software.
While companies might be ramping up their tangible and software security to try and sell you services accordingly, here is how you can cover for your own mobile security, and save yourself time and resources.
Local Security—Tie Loose Ends
Sure, smartphones are getting overly smart. In fact, it is rather common to find consumers considering themselves to be way too savvy, owing to the credibility of their smartphones. Unsurprisingly, many of you might even consider yourself to be as technologically-advanced as, say, 007 himself—however, missing the point entirely.
No Compromises
If there is something that the spy has never compromised on, it is local security. Have you noticed Bond’s Ericson, or any gadgets for that matter, being compromised by false passwords and predictable unlock patterns? No, right? Then why are you holding back?
Securing your phone locally is the single most important thing you can do to keep your smartphone safe. Think about it, irrespective of how often you access the internet or any cloud-based service, the number of times you unlock your phone far surpasses it, quite obviously.
Game of Biometrics
The simplest bypass here is to set a strong passcode. Think of it like having a secure code for your safe. With technological advancements and owing to phones becoming more ubiquitous, you can also set up fingerprints and face unlocks for your phone—thereby increasing security exponentially.
In this regard, we urge you to make the most of such features. Ensure that you set up your unique biometric along with a valid and strong passcode. Additionally, we ask you to assign this same feature across all applications too—especially ones pertaining to banking and social media, or anything that might contain private or sensitive information.
Defender—Hardware and Software
Great, now that you have established a secure lock in your front gate, it is time to install the security alarms and insure them too—just in case.
Antivirus
Software security measures aren’t just a computer thing. In fact, considering how often you use your phone more than your rig, it only makes sense to make your phone secure too, at least from the software front.
This is where good antivirus comes into play. Not only do antiviruses protect you from malicious ads, spams, and way too many twisted mechanics of phishing; but some of them keep detecting all kinds of malware that might have been established locally too. Additionally, because of the beautiful tapestry of the free market, you have been spoiled with choices, and you can acquire the software offerings that you deem fit.
Insurance?
Now that we have established phone security and protection from breaches, what if the heinous act has already taken place, more specifically, on a physical scale? What if you have been victim to physical loss of your smartphone, or may have lost it? Or what if it succumbs to physical damage as a result of callousness? Do you disregard such mishaps and make your smartphone vulnerable to safety concerns?
Believe it or not, phone insurance is a valid proposition. While you might be well acquainted with the idea of ensuing real estates, vehicles, or even your pets, mobile phone insurance is a genuinely valid idea. Unlike most other insurances, phone insurance is usually easier to acquire and keep up with, when compared to the aforementioned ones.
Mobile phone insurances also have the other advantage of manufacturer guidance. In other words, in order to establish a greater deal of connection with the customer base, oftentimes companies take you through the entire process of phone insurances, essentially making it easier for you to acquire the said insurance that you deem most appropriate for you.
Additionally, mobile insurances also take into account things like physical damage, with varying extents. Even if you face mishap and your phone succumbs to physical damage, your insurance provider has you covered. In an age where $1,000 phones are becoming more mainstream, this comes in handy.
The Bottomline—Other Measures
While the said measures are instrumental in increasing the longevity of your smartphone by making it safer to use, your phone needs inherent protection too. Using a phone case, installing a screen guard, and other such physical measures ensure that your phone is safe from environmental abrasions.
In a world where everything is available at the tip of your fingers, placing safety as a high-grade concern should not only be a quintessential aspect, but the norm altogether.