Securing your mobile devices

If you use a smartphone or tablet, it’s likely that your device contains a wealth of personal and business information, including emails, passwords, photos, and financial data. While very convenient, if that data isn’t protected, you risk it being leaked or stolen. Securing your mobile device is therefor important.

Best practices for mobile device security

1. Keep software and apps updated

In the dynamic realm of mobile device security, our first crucial checkpoint is ensuring that your software and applications are consistently up-to-date. Think of it as the digital maintenance routine for your device — a proactive measure that significantly enhances its resilience against evolving cyber threats.

Automatic updates

Enable automatic updates for both your device's operating system and applications. This ensures that you receive the latest security patches and improvements without manual intervention.

Regularly check for updates

In cases where automatic updates may not be available or feasible, make it a habit to manually check for updates regularly. This simple action can go a long way in fortifying your device against potential threats.

Prioritize critical updates

While it's essential to keep all software updated, prioritize critical security updates. These patches are often released urgently to address imminent threats, making their prompt installation crucial.

man at desk looking at phone taking notes

2. Strong authentication methods

Your device is the gateway to a trove of personal and sensitive information. It is crucial to fortify access points. You can do this by using biometrics (facial recognition, fingerprint scans,…), PINs and passwords to ensure a secure and personalised access. When choosing a pin or password, stay clear of easily guessable combinations, such as 1234 or 0000. A strong password has more than 15 characters, and includes numbers, uppercase and lowercase letters. It is unique for each account. You can easily manage your passwords in browser extensions or programs. Mobile applications are not immune to risks, and vulnerabilities can have severe consequences for users. From data breaches to privacy infringements, the impact of insecure mobile applications on user security is substantial. Recognizing and addressing these risks is essential in an age where our reliance on mobile apps continues to soar.

Within the realm of mobile device security, understanding and managing application permissions is a critical facet of fortifying your digital defenses. Applications often request access to various features and data on your device, and indiscriminate granting of permissions can expose sensitive information to potential risks. Vigilance in scrutinizing and controlling app permissions is essential to prevent unauthorized access to personal data, location information, and other sensitive resources.

Regularly review permissions

Regularly audit and review the permissions granted to each application on your device. Ensure that each permission aligns with the app's functionality, and revoke access for any unnecessary or suspicious permissions.

Be mindful during installation

Exercise caution when installing new applications. Take a moment to scrutinize the requested permissions before granting access. If an app's permissions seem excessive or unrelated to its purpose, reconsider the installation.

Utilize app settings

Leverage the settings within your device to manage app permissions effectively. Many devices offer granular control over individual app permissions, allowing you to tailor access to specific features based on your preferences.

3. Navigating app permissions

4. Secure Wi-Fi connections

Protect your Wi-Fi network with a robust and distinct password, adding an extra layer of defense to your digital fortress. Elevate your Wi-Fi security by implementing advanced encryption protocols like WPA3, turning your network into an impregnable shield against potential intruders.

Enhance your device’s security posture by fine-tuning preferences, preventing automatic connections to unsecured or previously accessed networks. This proactive measure ensures that your device only engages with trusted and verified Wi-Fi connections, minimizing the risk of unauthorized access. Stay in control and fortify your digital experience through smart and secure connectivity practices.

The importance of securing your mobile devices in the digital age

In the digital age, securing your mobile devices is paramount as they have become the central hub of our daily lives, containing a wealth of personal information and acting as gateways to the digital world. Inadequate mobile device security poses significant risks, including data breaches that compromise personal and financial information, leading to identity theft and potential financial loss. Moreover, security lapses can result in reputational damage, affecting both individuals and businesses. Within this landscape, common threats such as malware, phishing, and unauthorized access loom large, underscoring the need for vigilant and proactive measures to safeguard our digital experiences. In addressing these challenges, Pradeo’s Mobile Threat Defense (MTD) emerges as a robust solution for businesses.

Pradeo Mobile Threat Defense

Pradeos Mobile Threat Defense secures mobile devices by ensuring automated mobile endpoint detection and response. It detects malware, leakware, provides anti-phishing, etc… Pradeo developed an advanced Artificial Intelligence process delivering the most accurate mobile threat detection technology of the market. Through the years, the Pradeo intelligence center has collected billions of mobile security data, implemented thousands of security rules and detected millions of severe mobile threats and billions of leaky behaviors.

Application security

Most mobile threats do not have viral signatures. In order to detect and prevent zero-day attacks, Pradeo’s mobile application scanning capability accurately identifies all mobile applications behaviors and vulnerabilities. Then, it contextualizes information to avoid false-positive alerts and only blocks applications that represent a real threat.

Network security

As the amount of public hotspots keeps increasing and people tend to connect to several ones a day, Pradeo Security screens in real-time network configuration and parameters. As a result, it prevents network-related attacks such as Man-In-The-Middle.

Device security

A device that is jailbroken, rooted, running on an outdated operating system, etc. is vulnerable to device-related attacks and thus, represents a security flaw in the mobile chain. Pradeo Security monitors device integrity by inspecting all its potentially defective aspects.