World Telecommunication and Information Society Day: Tips to keep your smartphone safe from hackers, malware

Here's a short checklist of basic tips that you can follow to keep your smartphone safe and secure from hackers and malware.

To appreciate these advances in the field of communication and tech we celebrate the ‘World Telecommunication and Information Society Day.’ (Pixabay)

Digital communication is way more important for us than before. And since most of us can't meet physically these days, it has become a high-priority. All thanks to the tech and advances in the field of communication, we are able to easily stay in touch with colleagues and loved ones on a daily basis. However, to appreciate these advances in the field of communication and tech we celebrate the ‘World Telecommunication and Information Society Day.'

Since today (May 17) is all about appreciating the tech in communication, we can't miss talking about smartphones. These devices not just carry a lot of information and let you connect with others easily, they have also become powerful over time.

This brings us to the most obvious question - Are they safe? You can't answer that right away but you can follow some basic tips to make sure they are secure. So, here's a checklist for you.

Not sure which
mobile to buy?

Please don't put your smartphone's password as ‘Password'

That's the most basic mistake one can do in this digital-age. Passwords like “12345” or “Password” can be guessed easily these days. So don't be that guy. Change it to something complex. You can also have a Face or fingerprint scanner as an extra security layer to keep info safe in handsets.

Passwords for different apps are also important

These days you get some third-party apps on app stores that let you add yet another security layer by putting a password for certain apps. This can be WhatsApp, Facebook, Email apps, Facebook or more where you have a private conversation.

Make sure you log out of apps and services

Many of us log in to the web version of social media services or apps, and never use it again for a long time. If you are one of them, make sure that you log out of the service. It is also possible to remove the devices through which you've logged it to your Google, Facebook and other accounts from a single place within these apps and services.

Try not to use shady or unofficial apps

That's needless to say but still an important part of keeping your phone secure from hackers and malware. Since the source of unofficial apps being sideloaded are not official, one doesn't know how many codes of malware he/she is installing on the smartphone with each apk file.

You might be greedy for public Wi-fi networks, but it's a risk

We are not specifically telling you to stay away from public Wi-Fi networks but then one has to know that hackers can use the same Wi-Fi network to breach your device for mining information. We'd suggest you stick with 4G connectivity when outside, until unless a wi-fi network is really required.

Use apps that encrypt your information

We are talking about apps like WhatsApp, ProtonMail, iMessage, Telegram, Microsoft Teams and more. Because keeping your data safe is the most important in this digital-era.