Travel can be hard on your body, your body clock, your suitcase, and your smartphone. Phones can get jostled around and compromised when you’re on the move. Criminals in unfamiliar places may target your phone for theft. If you use public Wi-Fi in an unfamiliar place, hackers could get access to your personal information.
If you use caution, however, it is possible to travel widely while keeping your phone intact. Here are some tips for safeguarding your phone—even with a jet-set lifestyle.
Turn on your phone’s built-in protection – Your phone comes with layers of security, including password entry or biometric protection such as facial recognition or fingerprint swipes. Many phone users disable these protections because they don’t want to waste time entering them. Passwords are your phone’s first line of defense. Biometric identification provides a stepped-up security check that is more difficult to breach. Make sure to enable these protections before you leave for your destination.
Shut down geo-tracking – Your phone collects information about the places you have visited. While this feature may be helpful at home, it will be risky when you are traveling. Don’t broadcast your location, and use caution when posting on social media. If you announce to the world that you are leaving on a two-week vacation or business trip, you might as well send out a personalized invitation to burglars near you.
Back up your phone – Backing up your phone is important because you never know when your phone will get lost or stolen. If your phone is not backed up, you will have lost much more than just your device. You will also lose the important information that you stored on your phone.
Update your operating system – You know those annoying little reminders to update your phone’s operating system? They are critical for security. They often contain patches to keep hackers away from your personal data. When you travel, you head into unfamiliar territory and could inadvertently download malicious software that your phone won’t be able to defend against. Updates will decrease your risk of picking up malware.
Your phone should enhance your fun, not diminish it. Take these precautions before you head out the door so you can travel worry-free.
How could it be that the world can fit into a small device that can make life easier, sporty and trendy? You can call it a CP, a smartphone or an iPhone, but one thing is for sure, it has been part of your daily life. How can you protect its hardware and software? You can get helpful tips from this infographic.