Being Smartphone and Tablet Safe

Portable electronics – such as smartphones and tablets – are gaining an immense amount of popularity throughout the world today.

Regardless of where you live, what you do, and the state of the community in which you reside, you are sure to find it commonplace to observe individuals using hand-held electronic and computer devices. People are no longer restrained by the bulk and lack of mobility of desktop computers.

Now – more than ever before – mobility is on the rise.

Unfortunately, consumers are not the only individuals that seek to reap the rewards of today’s mobile devices. Criminals are also interested in utilizing these types of devices in order to illegally access personal and financial information.

If you use a smartphone and/or a tablet, you must learn to use it safely.

In this brief guide, you will be presented with a few strategies that will help in securing personal and financial information from those that intend to use it against you and to harm you.

The following outlines the most productive measures possible to achieve success in this endeavor:

1. First, you must ensure that you practice extreme caution when it comes to downloading, installing, and using apps that are designed for mobile devices. Many of today’s apps may contain malware. If you elect to utilize apps, you should ensure that you obtain them from stores that have a solid reputation. In most instances, these include those that are provided by the manufacturer of your mobile device or by the service provider of your cellular service or your internet. If you use mobile banking, you should only obtain the app from your financial institution in order to protect your personal and financial information.
2. The next step to being smartphone and tablet safe is to use security software that is designed to protect your device. Examples include security suites and programs that are designed to combat against malware and other types of malicious programs that criminals use to access your personal and financial information.
3. The next step to successfully protecting your personal and financial information with your smartphone and your tablet is to ensure that access to the information therein is protected and restricted. The best strategy for this is to use a password or a specially-designed security feature to protect it in the event that it is lost or stolen. You should also make certain that the feature “auto lock” is utilized. This will automatically digitally lock your phone if you fail to use it for a set amount of time.

By taking the measures contained within this guide, you will be able to successfully keep your personal information, your financial information, and other sensitive information from those that seek to commit crimes with the illicit use of said information.

If you would like to learn more about mobile banking or measures that may be taken to protect yourself on mobile devices, you may contact Somerville National Bank today.