Your smartphone holds a lot of personal and sensitive data, which is why you should always create a passcode lock. Where possible, use biometric security in addition to your password.
Let’s look at common forms of authentication to keep your devices and personal information safe.
Create a safe password
We cannot stress this enough – create a strong password that uses an uppercase, lowercase, special character and number for your passwords. The longer and more complicated it is, the more difficult it is for hackers to crack. And never use the same username and password across your accounts. It’s a very easy – and lazy – thing to do, but with the number of data breaches you face every other week, all it takes is one leaked credential to compromise all your accounts.
Multi-factor authentication
You may have heard of two-factor authentication (2FA) but multi-factor authentication (MFA) is better if you’re given the option. It means you’ll need two or more additional ways to identify yourself when logging into an account or device. The downside is if you lose your device and can’t access those codes. So make sure you have backup for your backup!
Password manager
It’s not possible to remember all your passwords, especially if you set lengthy, secure ones. If you want them auto-generated, investigate using a password manager that will generate the appropriate password for you. Both Apple Safari and Google Chrome can generate unique, lengthy passwords on your behalf, provided you’re logged in and use their services across your devices. You can then use biometrics to access passwords without typing them.
Biometric authentication
Most smartphones come with some form of biometric authentication, even the lower end ones. These include biometrics like fingerprints, facial recognition, eye scanning or voice recognition. These are unique identifiers tied to you only, which works great for MFA or instances where you need higher levels of security to access sensitive information. It’s also handy because you don’t have to remember your passwords.
Security updates
Software updates are easily ignored, but they’re crucial because they fix vulnerabilities and loopholes exploited by hackers. If you have access to uncapped data or fibre at home, run the update at night or when you’re at the office. Take note of change logs, and if it’s an update related to a security patch, treat it as a priority.
Don’t click links via DMs
It’s very common today to receive “help” DMs from friends or family on Instagram but do not click on those links, even from trusted sources. Rather run a quick Google search to see if it’s a known scam. The same applies to emails from banks, financial institutions, social media accounts, etc. that ask you to click a link to verify your information. No legitimate organisation operates that way today.
Above all, just be vigilant and apply common sense.
Ensure your phone is protected. Vodacom Device Cover is designed to help you stay connected when life throws its curveballs at you.
