From The Office of Information Technology’s Information Security Office
Modern life depends so much on the use of smartphones that life is hard to imagine without them. Those who have smartphones carry fully functional computers in their pockets or purses. That’s a tremendous amount of information at one’s fingertips! Safeguarding smartphones is important because such information can easily slip in to the wrong hands and can be exploited.
Common Risks for Smartphones
Take a moment to consider each of these areas:
-Loss of device and information theft. Smartphones are small and can easily be lost or stolen. Unauthorized users may access your accounts, address lists, photos, and more. They can use this information to scam, harm or embarrass both you and your friends. Unauthorized users may leverage stored passwords to access your bank and credit card accounts, steal your money or make credit card charges, gain access to sensitive material, and more.
-Social Engineering. A common mobile threat is social engineering. Whether via text message, image, or application to download, an incoming communication may be an attempt to gain access to your information. For example, a text message that comes from an unknown number claiming that clicking on the link embedded in the text will provide access to thousands of free ringtones is probably not legitimate. The link is most likely malicious. Clicking on it will compromise the security of your smartphone.
-Too Much Information (TMI). Guidelines for protecting privacy, safety and one’s reputation when sharing information via computers also apply when sharing information via smartphones. Mobile devices enable instantaneous capturing, posting and distributing images, videos and information. They may also broadcast location information.
-Public Wi-Fi. Smartphones are susceptible to malware and hacking when leveraging unsecured public networks.
-Bluetooth and Near Field Communications (NFC). Bluetooth is a wireless network technology that uses short-wave radio transmissions to transmit voice and data. NFC allows smartphones to communicate with each other by simply touching another smartphone or by being close to another smartphone with NFC capabilities or with an NFC device. Risks of using NFC and Bluetooth include eavesdropping, through which the cyber criminal can intercept data transmission such as credit card numbers. NFC also has the risk of transferring viruses or other malware from one NFC-enabled device to another.
Simple Steps to Protect Your Smartphone:
1.Update the operating system. Smartphones are computing devices that need to be updated. Updates often provide you with enhanced functionality and enriched features as well as fixes to critical security vulnerabilities. Your smartphone manufacturer should notify you whenever an update is available.
2. Use of security software is a must. As the smartphone market is increasing, so, too, is the amount of malware designed to attack smartphones. The software security solutions that are available for desktops and laptops are not as widely available for smartphones. A key protection is to use mobile security software and keep it up to date. There are a few well-known, free antivirus apps available for Android devices like Avast!, Kaspersky, AVG, McAfee, and Sophos. Many of these programs can also locate a missing or stolen phone, back up your data, and even remotely wipe all data from the phone, if it is reported stolen.
3. Password-protect your device. Enable strong password protection on your device and include a timeout requiring authentication after a period of inactivity. Secure the smartphone with a unique password — not the default one it came with. Do not share your password with others.
4. Think before you click, download, forward, or open. Before responding, registering, downloading or providing information, get the facts. No matter how tempting the text, image, or application is, if the download isn’t from a legitimate app store or the site of a trusted company, don’t engage with the message.
5. Understand the terms of use. Some applications claim extensive rights to accessing and leveraging your personal information. If the app requires more access to your account and/or device than is needed to run the service, do not continue. In addition, be aware that terms can change over time. Review your terms of use often.
6. Be cautious with public Wi-Fi. Many smartphone users use free Wi-Fi hotspots to access data (and keep their phone plan costs down). There are numerous threats associated with Wi-Fi hotspots. To be safe, avoid logging into accounts, especially financial accounts, when using public wireless networks.
7. Disable Bluetooth and Near Field Communication (NFC) capabilities when not in use. Capabilities such as Bluetooth and NFC can provide ease and convenience in using your smartphone. They can also provide an easy way for a nearby, unauthorized user to gain access to your data. Turn these features off when they are not required.
8. Enable encryption. Enabling encryption on your smartphone is one of the best ways to safeguard information stored on the device, thwarting unauthorized access.
9. Securely dispose of your device. With the constant changes and upgrades in the smartphone market, many are upgrading their devices on a regular basis. It is important that you wipe the information from your smartphone before disposal. Additionally, make sure any SD cards are removed and erased. If you are not redeploying the SIM card to another device, then make sure your personal information stored on the SIM card is erased or destroyed.
For More Information:
- Office of Technology Services: Mobile Device Support
- Sophos – Android Tool: Android Tool
- FTC – How to Dispose Your Mobile Device Securely: http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0200-disposing-your-mobile-device
US-CERT – Cyber Threats to Mobile Phones: http://www.us-cert.gov/reading_room/cyber_threats_to_mobile_phones.pdf
