Cybersecurity is a rising concern in today’s world. Until a few years ago, this concern was limited to computers and laptops. However, now smartphones have joined the league of devices that are at great risk of facing cybersecurity issues. And it becomes a growing concern as children are exposed to the risk as well. The availability of Spectrum Internet plans and the like is a blessing. But this also means that you have to take measures to protect yourself against cybercriminals.

Here are some ways in which you can ensure that your smartphone is secure:

Screen Lock

In case you haven’t already, it is high time that you activate your screen lock. And the timing for your screen to get locked in case of no activity should be less. For example, set the timer at 30 seconds. So, if you do not touch your screen or perform any activity on your phone for 30 seconds, the screen should auto-lock. Other than that, you should also enable the automatic wiping of the device feature. So, if someone makes ten wrong attempts at logging in, the feature will come in handy.

Some of the tips that you would want to remember for the locked screen as well as to avoid relying on the passcode alone. As it is the easiest to breach. Instead, you should turn to biometrics. For example, enable the face recognition or fingerprint recognition feature in addition to adding the passcode. Other than that, Android phone owners can also opt for a unique pattern to enter when they want to log in to their mobile phones.

Keep a Check on the Phone Bills

Another security measure that you should take is keeping a check on your phone bills. This might sound unusual or funny but the bill can reveal many things to you. And most importantly it can reveal to you the happening of any unusual activities. For example, a decreased battery life (a sudden fall), any text messages that you do not recognize, and suspicious charges. If any such activity appears on your bill, it is a clear indication that someone got access to it or has been using it.

And this ‘someone’ could be anyone. You should not trust your friends wither when it comes to cybersecurity. As you never know who is breaching you.

Minding Your Apps

Apps are more common these days than ever. And there is not a single smartphone owner who does not have two or more apps installed. In most cases, the number exceeds three. However, the sad part is that the companies launching apps are only concentrating their efforts on marketing them. While little or no effort are put in the area that matters the most – the security of the clients.

As a result, there are several instances that you can find online that narrate the story of viruses or malware attacks on smartphones. However, devices that have iOS are safer than their Android counterparts are for some reason. These include market fragmentation and the fact that Google is more permissible towards apps. Thus, making it easier for Cybersecurity criminals to attack Android devices.

So, to protect yourself from any app-related issues, you should always download them from the official app stores. Apart from that, disable the option of downloading any third-party apps on your mobile. As these are the ones that contain malware most of the time. Other than that, keep updating your apps and also consider a spring cleanup of them.

Careful Web Browsing

One thing that YOU need to be mindful of is your web browsing. If you use your mobile to browse the web frequently, then you should install an ad blocker. As many ads carry viruses and malware with them. Other than that, you should look into blocking pop-ups as well. You can do this easily by going to the ‘Settings’ section on your respective phones.

Experts also recommend that you disable JavaScript on your smartphone’s browser. Other than that, you should be very careful when you tap your screen. It should not get tapped somewhere that you did not intend to. As you could even get redirected to an infected website.

Beware of Phishing

Another protective layer that you should ad is keeping phishing away from your smartphones. However, this can be tough. As spotting a phishing page on a mobile is tougher than doing the same on a laptop or PC. But you can avoid clicking on links that are short or appear to be suspicious. Other than that, you should also not download ALL attachments that come with emails. Always see whom the email is coming from before you download any attachment.

You have no idea what trauma you can go through if your device gets attacked by Cybersecurity criminals. They can even ask you for ransom money. The data that you lose is another painful story. Therefore, talk to your mobile plan provider as well if they offer any protection. I subscribed to the Spectrum Mobile plan and the company puts in an extra effort to protect the subscribers against any such activities.