5 Ways to Protect Your Devices

If you use multiple devices for personal or business, then it is wise to make you are doing the upmost to keep your information protected.

13:47 02 August 2019

Now that most internet users are accessing the web via their smartphone, it’s a case of managing data across multiple platforms and devices. In order to keep yourself safe when online, here are a few methods of protecting your data from cybercriminals.

Be cautious of public Wi-Fi

You might be surprised how easy it is to access your device’s information when using a public Wi-Fi connection. If the web address is ‘open’ you will want to check that the web addresses you are using are secure (beginning with https). While many people joke about how no-one ever really reads the terms and conditions if you are worried about your personal data, you should do so before joining a public network.

Anti-virus and theft software

For many, we use our devices for leisure, and so it can be hard to remember to take out time for the serious matters such as anti-virus and protection software. However, we never take threats seriously until it’s too late, and viruses always get us when we least expect it. Using security software such as McAfee endpoint security helps to prevent your information from being stolen and your devices from being accessed for malicious purposes such as malware.

Updates

If you’re the culprit of clicking ‘Remind me later’ when it comes to a software update, this could be a bad habit to get out of. Updates are vital for maintaining the security efficiency of your device. Developers formulate their updates with security in mind, and by opting-out, you are voluntarily excluding yourself from a layer of protection.

Check your device’s security

Did you know that your toaster could be a victim of internet crime? It might sound silly, but nowadays, a lot of our devices are fitted with a ‘smart’ capacity to communicate with other devices in the house. For example, a journalist exampled how many hackers would target a smart-technology toaster for cyber-crime, and the result was that it took very little time to get targeted. This is why it’s a good idea to check the internet security settings of smart devices to check that it isn’t easy to access your network.

Remote tracking and wiping

Should the worst happen to a device, you want to be able to access it as soon as possible. If a device were ever to get stolen, a tracking app, or one that allows you to wipe it from a distance, could protect your personal data. Not only could it locate the criminal, but also prevent them from getting their hands on sensitive information.

No one wants to think about the eventuality of their device being electronically compromised or stolen. Therefore it’s strategically useful to implement as many security measures as possible to keep your information safe. Even if your phone or tablet never does get compromised, you will know that your data would have been safe, regardless.