Smartphone Security Guide: The easiest way to keep your phone & data secure. Follow this step-by-step guide in order to enhance your smartphone's security and privacy and keep your data safe. You can read the extended version here: https://heimdalsecurity.com/blog/smartphone-security-guide-keep-your-phone-data-safe/

1. SMARTPHONE
SECURITY GUIDE
THE EASIEST WAY TO KEEP YOUR PHONE
AND DATA SECURE
APRIL 2016

2. The costs of not securing your
smartphone:
67% of organizations had a data breach as a result of employees
using their mobile phones to access the company’s data
(source)
Smartphone Security Guide
The easiest way to keep your phone and data safe

3. Increased attacks over
smartphones:
In 2015 there was a 500% increase of the instances of
smartphone users being targeted by ransomware, with
cybercriminals using exploitative apps to con money from users,
in exchange for restoring full functionality to a device
(source)
Smartphone Security Guide
The easiest way to keep your phone and data safe

4. You’ll be extremely vulnerable
on any phone you use, no
matter its brand or operating
system
Smartphone Security Guide
The easiest way to keep your phone and data safe

5. What matters is that you know
how to properly use that phone
and create basic security habits
in order not to expose yourself
Smartphone Security Guide
The easiest way to keep your phone and data safe

6. Basic security settings for
smartphones can be tweaked
by anyone
No advanced tech skills needed.
Smartphone Security Guide
The easiest way to keep your phone and data safe

7. Smartphone Security Guide
The easiest way to keep your phone and data safe
Smartphone security guide –
here’s the easiest way to keep
your phone & data safe

8. Activate a screen lock
Smartphone Security Guide
The easiest way to keep your phone and data safe
Your phone should auto lock itself after a short period of
inactivity (30’, for example).
Enforce automatic wiping of the device after 10 failed login
attempts.
1.

9. Use a password to unlock the
screen.
Don’t use a PIN code, they are the easiest ones to breach.
If you can, you can also lock your screen using a pattern or
fingerprint.
Biometrics are one of the most secure ways to authenticate –
they are not secret, but they are hard for intruders to replicate.
Smartphone Security Guide
The easiest way to keep your phone and data safe

10. Be careful with those apps
You are exposed to:
- Malware / adware / ransomware
- Losing access to your accounts (work, email, social media, etc),
your data (photos, videos) and even your phone
- Financial losses
Smartphone Security Guide
The easiest way to keep your phone and data safe
2.

11. Only download apps from the
official app stores
Make sure that the option to allow third party apps is disabled.
Smartphone Security Guide
The easiest way to keep your phone and data safe

12. Check permissions for the apps
Uninstall or revoke access to apps that require permissions that
they shouldn’t.
Why would a flashlight app require permission to access your
contacts or text messages?
Smartphone Security Guide
The easiest way to keep your phone and data safe

13. Do a spring cleanup through
apps
Uninstall apps that you don’t use anymore. They are potential
security vulnerabilities.
Keep up to date the apps that you do use.
Look over the ones that consume the most memory, data or
battery, see if there’s anything unusual around there.
Smartphone Security Guide
The easiest way to keep your phone and data safe

14. Be careful with that web
browsing
Ad content is accountable for between 18-79% to transferred
mobile data. JavaScript elements add an extra 6 to 68%.
(source)
Smartphone Security Guide
The easiest way to keep your phone and data safe
3.

15. Install an ad blocker and block
pop-ups
It will help you avoid malvertising (you don’t have to click on
anything in order to get infected because of malvertising).
Smartphone Security Guide
The easiest way to keep your phone and data safe

16. Disable JavaScript
It’s one of the most vulnerable software products (and also one
of the most exploited by cyber crooks).
You can disable it from your mobile browser settings.
Smartphone Security Guide
The easiest way to keep your phone and data safe

17. Watch out where you tap
Be careful not to end up clicking by mistake where you didn’t
want in the first place.
Smartphone Security Guide
The easiest way to keep your phone and data safe

18. Keep your guard up for phishing
Phishing attacks are extremely successful on smartphones
because they are much harder to detect than on your PC or
laptop.
Smartphone Security Guide
The easiest way to keep your phone and data safe
4.

19. Watch out what you click on
Don’t click on links that you never requested or you don’t know
where they lead.
If you end up clicking on them and they require your credentials,
it’s safer not to fill in anything.
Smartphone Security Guide
The easiest way to keep your phone and data safe

20. Activate remote device locator
In case your phone is lost or stolen, you’ll be able to remotely
locate it.
Smartphone Security Guide
The easiest way to keep your phone and data safe
5.

21. Activate automatic backup in
cloud
In case that your phone is destroyed, lost or stolen, you won’t
have to worry about losing anything. All apps and data will be
automatically synchronized in the cloud.
Smartphone Security Guide
The easiest way to keep your phone and data safe
6.

22. Activate two-factor
authentication
Activate it for all the accounts where it’s possible. Start with your
more important ones (email, social media, cloud storage). It will
act as a second layer of protection.
Every time you’ll want to sign in from a new device, it will require
you to verify your identity through a unique,
time-sensitive code, that you’ll receive via text message.
Smartphone Security Guide
The easiest way to keep your phone and data safe
7.

23. Turn on encryption
The phone will ask you to set a password to unlock it and decrypt
the data on it.
If you forget it, only a complete factory reset will get access back
into the system.
Smartphone Security Guide
The easiest way to keep your phone and data safe
8.

24. Install an antivirus
They are not as potent as their desktop version, but it’s better to
have one installed than without any kind of protection.
Smartphone Security Guide
The easiest way to keep your phone and data safe
9.

25. Only use secure connections
No public free wireless networks, especially when you’re
accessing sensitive data (email account, bank account, work
documents).
Use your mobile data instead.
A VPN (Virtual Private Network) will also protect you – it will
encrypt your data and internet traffic.
Smartphone Security Guide
The easiest way to keep your phone and data safe
10.

26. Smartphone Security Guide
The easiest way to keep your phone and data safe
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Smartphone Security Guide
The easiest way to keep your phone and data safe