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Nearly everyone is carrying around a smartphone. Whether you’re a high school student, professional, or grandfather, odds are you’ve got a mobile phone. But how secure is your device?
Safely Storing Data on Your Device
Many people are working remotely, and it’s tempting to store both work and personal information in the same place. Obviously, the easiest way to avoid a data breach is to keep personal data off your phone, but that is not convenient nor desirable for many people even though hackers, trojan horses, phishing scams, and even ransomware attacks are ubiquitous.
Protecting yourself is key. But when large corporations are regularly hacked, how is an individual with limited technical knowledge able to cope with these digital intrusions? Companies typically have top-tier data security the average person doesn’t have access to.
Securing Your Device
There are different layers of security you may want to consider for your phone. For example, if your phone is lost or stolen, you can pre-set a feature to delete all data remotely. As soon as someone tries to access information on your device, the data disappears. Putting up a barrier against prying eyes will keep people from gaining access to financial information and even work programs you may be running that are the property of your company.
Today many corporations provide data security training to their employees, and when you sign on the dotted line stating you understand and will abide by the company policies, one lapse of your firewall could land you in the hot seat at work if your company has a data breach through your device.
Last but not least, protecting your apps is vital. Only download apps from trusted sources and be sure to install any updates so you don’t miss important security patches.
What’s the Worst That Can Happen?
It’s uncommon, but yes, nefarious folks can wield smartphone technology against you. For example, the Washington Post reported a stalker used an app that made it possible for him to track his victim’s car and stop or start it at will. He literally had control of her life since he could stop her vehicle on the highway, which could cause a serious accident. Fortunately, nothing that serious happened but it could have.
On the flip side, technology helps police solve crimes. In Lincoln, Nebraska, phone records led to the recovery of murder victim Sydney Loofe, a young woman who had vanished after setting up a date online. Investigators compared various pings from cell phone towers to pinpoint the location of her body.
Common Scenarios Where Smartphones Can Help
In everyday life, your GPS system can pinpoint your location and help prove guilt or innocence when you’re involved in a car accident. In a hit-and-run, it’s nearly impossible to argue against technology when your navigation system clearly shows where you were when a wreck occurred.
If you have been involved in an accident, a law firm in Hastings can use technology to help win your case. Sometimes the digital evidence is pivotal in helping a judge reach the correct decision.
Good and Bad Aspects of Mobile Technology
The benefits of having a smartphone are many, but so are the drawbacks. A lawyer can help prove a legal case, police can locate lost people, and hackers can get your banking information all from the same phone app. Whether you think using the technology is worth it or not is a very personal decision. Knowing the facts about what could and does happen will hopefully help steer you in the right direction.
