As you see and hear from various media sources, network, internet and mobile security are hot topics in the news today. Organizations are being “hacked,” private information is being compromised due to sophisticated scamming activities and malware is showing up on mobile devices (smartphones and tablets) more frequently. What you don’t hear about are the thousands of mobile devices that are lost and stolen around the world (5,000-9,000 per day!). If it hasn’t happened already, you or someone you know WILL experience this at some point in time. And when it does, not only will you be out the cost of a phone, you could be at risk for losing something much more valuable: your data or even your identity!
By following some very basic, common-sense security tips for your iPhone or iPad, you will be safer should you lose track of your i-device. Ultimately, you’ll be able to save yourself the time, energy and money it takes to recover from the fallout of a lost device.
- A 4-digit passcode isn’t enough. Add to that the below basic security best practices to protect your privacy and data.
– Do not use simple passwords (1,2,3,4). Use non-sequential numbers.
– Use the shortest auto-lock period you can stand. We recommend one minute.
– Set your phone to be erased after 10 incorrect passcode entries.
– Apply iOS updates as soon as they come out. They usually always contain key security upgrades that make your phone safer. Exception:If your employer is managing your phone security, check with your IT team first before updating to the newest iOS version. - Don’t jailbreak your phone.
– Jailbreaking changes iOS and negates the built-in security features and barriers or “sandboxing” between apps.
– Non-Apple approved third-party app sites can be unsafe and include malware. - Use Find My iPhone.
– Turn on the Find My iPhone setting under iCloud in Settings and download the Find My iPhone app.
– With the app, you can find out the location of any i-device you own under the same Apple ID, and wipe it back to factory settings remotely in the app to make sure the bad guys don’t have access to your private documents such as photos, videos, contacts, stored passwords, etc. - Use good password practices.
– Use unique passwords for different accounts or websites and/or iPhone accounts. The longer the password, the better. Using a mix of capital and lower case letters along with numbers and other characters makes it harder for the bad guys to “guess” your password with tools they can easily obtain. - Be careful with lock-screen notifications.
– If you have lock-screen notifications enabled, beware of sensitive information that may show up pertaining to emails, texts and apps even while your screen is locked.
If you have questions about any of these strategies, or are interested in having TechOrchard create a mobile strategy to help protect your organization and its devices, contact us at support@techorchard.com or 913-685-1475. And, stay tuned for part II of “Security tips that make cents,” in which we’ll cover tips for Android phones!
