Three warns all Android and iPhone owners over ‘three rules’ to avoid costly nightmare – don’t risk losing everything
YOUR smartphone is packed with some of your most sensitive information – so make sure it’s locked down.
An official Three memo reveals three rules that everyone should follow.
If you ignore them, you could find yourself in a costly security nightmare.
Hackers, thieves and snoopers could use your info to defraud, blackmail, extort you and more.
The first rule is that it’s important to keep your devices update.
“Cyber criminals look to find and exploit weaknesses in your devices software or the apps that you run,” Three explained.
“Providers, however, continually provide security fixes to keep your protection in place.
“If you update to the latest version regularly – the simplest way to do this is to turn on automatic updates – you can immediately improve your security.”
It’s very easy to update your software in your phone settings.
And these updates on iOS for iPhone and Android by Google are delivered free of charge.
What’s more, it usually only takes a matter of minutes to get the free upgrade, helping to keep you safe.
Three’s second rule is to set up security on your device.
“Your device is likely to come with several options for you to prevent access to it by others,” Three noted.
“These include setting up PINS or passwords, pattern swipes and biometric measures such as fingerprint and facial recognition.
“Choose the one for you that provides the right balance of security and convenience.”
Most modern smartphones now offer extra layers of security.
This means you can very easily keep snoopers locked out from your phone.
Just be sure never to share your passcode with anyone, as this can allow someone to bypass your security and access the most sensitive parts of your phone – including the ability to make purchases.
The third rule is to set up device tracking.
“Setting up a find my device service will help you control what happens to your data should your device be lost or stolen,” Three said.
“If the device is still online you can take actions such as locate its whereabouts on a map, lock the screen, sound an alarm or wipe all the data from it.”
Both iPhone and Android allow you to find your lost phone.
And newer models can be found with remarkable precision, and even when switched off.
You should set these features up ahead of time to make sure that you’re ready.
Featured Image Credit: Three / Unsplash / The Sun