Six tips to protect your smartphone from hackers

Take a deep breath and then think about how much time you spend on your smartphone everyday. On an average, a person spends more than four hours using the smartphone daily. From making a call to the dry cleaners and downloading your favourite grocery app to shopping for home supplies and purchasing your next party dress, these smart devices are used for just about everything now. We click pictures, save important documents and sometimes our ATM/Web banking pins are on it as well.

The smartphone has become an essential daily device in our lives. The very thought of losing our smartphone is enough to send cold shivers down our spine.

Unfortunately, reports suggest, over 40 mobiles are stolen everyday in metros like New Delhi and Mumbai. Most never get recovered. So, what can one do? It is time you secure your mobile phone so that you are safe from thieves (in case the phone is lost/stolen) and also cyber attacks.

Encryption is the key
Android allows you to en crypt all the data on your de vice. You'll need to key in a password or PIN each time the device is turned on to de code all the data. It may seem tiresome but if the phone gets into the wrong hands, there's no way to access the data without a password or PIN. It can be activated through the Android device's Security Settings within your phone. Apps like applock, document locker (Android) and Signal ( iOS) can also be used to protect apps and files.

Lock the screen without fail
The most basic security measure one can employ for any device is its own screen lock ¬ it allows you to guard the device by using a pattern, PIN or password. The lock can be activated through the device's security settings. The device can be set to lock automatically after a specific time period or by pressing the `power' key.

Do not use unknown Wi-Fis
As tempting as it might be, do not use any unknown Wi-fi networks on your smartphone. Instead, invest in a good data pack from your mobile network service provider. The cost of a data pack may be high, but at least you are safer using your own network to manage your bank accounts than an unsafe free Wi-fi.

No unknown app sources
Both Google play and Apple App stores have verified and scanned appsgames on them. You can access these with your smartphone and download any app safely. There are plenty of websites and mailers, which ask you to download an app from an unknown web link. Don't. If the app is not available on the app stores, do not download and install it.

Install an anti-virus
If you browse websites and download content from the net to your smartphone, install an antivirus app on your mobile. There are plenty of free anti-virus apps available, like AVG Free and Avast, however, we recommend you spend a small amount and buy yourself Norton or Kaspersky Android antivirus app. These will keep your mobile browsers safe from viruses and tell you which sites are safe to browse.

Up to date
Keep your smartphone's software and apps up-to-date.Under most circumstances software updates come out because the company or app makers have found a security flaw and want to plug it. It is very important that you keep your smartphone's OS and apps updated. Each time there is an OS App update the Google and Apple app stores intimate you (unless you have stopped notifications in phone settings), our recommendation is to connect to a safe Wi-fi and update them.