You wouldn’t dream of taking your laptop out into the world without antivirus software installed… and if you did, you’d be in for a world of bugs, viruses, malware and other nasties. But what about securing your mobile phone or tablet?

In the United States, a survey found that most people (84%) have an antivirus installed on their computer, while 68% have an antivirus installed on their smartphones, and 60% on their tablets. So antivirus adoption is common. That’s the good news. The not-so-good news, though, is that it’s often unintentional, with most users just going with whatever came pre-installed on their devices!

Be Mindful of All Factors 

You need to be more careful. Your mobile device holds some of your most sensitive and crucial information. Texts, emails, photos, banking information… and that’s before you consider location tracking, online browsing, and all the stuff your phone keeps tabs on without you really knowing or thinking about it.

You wouldn’t want a stranger to have access to that information, and it would be a disaster if cybercriminals got their dirty hands on it. So your mobile device needs to be a digital fortress, and you need to keep a close eye on your privacy and data protection.

More Than Virus Protection

Data privacy is about more than just keeping your mobile device from catching viruses; it’s about your choice around who can access your personal information and how they can use that information. Cybersecurity firms call this personally identifiable information (PII), and it’s the kind of info that’s usually linked to mobile access control credentials – like your name, address, phone number, and so on.

Some Action You Can Take

Start by enabling encryption on your device. This will protect your data from unauthorised access, especially if your device is lost or stolen. Then, make a habit of backing up your device’s data to a secure location (like the Cloud) to prevent data loss if your device breaks or goes missing. Also, be sure to familiarise yourself with your device’s privacy settings and customise them to control how your data is collected and used. 

On an iPhone, go to Settings > Privacy & Security. There, you can manage app permissions, limit location tracking, control data collection, and adjust settings related to advertising and analytics. You can also manage the Safari browser’s privacy settings to block cross-site tracking and hide your IP address. 

On an Android device, you can manage permissions through the Permission Manager, which shows you which apps have access to specific data and lets you grant or deny access as you choose. For example, you could allow an app to access your location only when it’s in use, or deny it access altogether.

Then, keep your device secure by enabling strong passwords, PINs, lock screens, fingerprint and facial recognition and – wherever possible –multi-factor authentication (MFA). You could also invest in a privacy screen protector, which prevents people from looking over your shoulder to see what’s on your screen.

You can never be too careful.