According to data from Neilsen, approximately 38% of American adults now own an iPhone, Blackberry or other mobile device that runs the Android, Windows or Web OS operating system.
Your digital productivity is an attractive lure for financial attackers looking for easy pickings. The more connected you are, the more attractive your data and devices are. Your phone now contains your contact list, your documents, your photos, your history of conversations and a chance for a peek inside your wallet.
One persistent challenge is this; the security holes that leave you vulnerable, often go undetected and create a gaping hole in your mobile security armor.
Because many smartphone devices do double duty both at home and in the workplace, web security firms and company IT departments are hard at work guarding corporate
firewalls from the army of employees who innocently use their smartphones for both company business and personal pleasure.
What can the average smartphone user do to effectively fight the battle against financial data thieves during the busy holiday season?
Keep these 9 tips in mind to become a smaller target:
1. Money saving coupons are often fake and may contain sneaky digital intruders.
2. Apps that do comparison shopping are often just open doors for malware.
3. Shopping only with merchants you know and trust is a practice you can’t ignore.
4. Bots and malware are at work looking for a way into your world 24/7. Stay alert.
5. Ringtones, games and music are very risky purchases.
6. Androids get targeted most, but iPhones are subject to ”jailbreak me” vulnerabilities.
7. Get a free antivirus app from your carrier or a commercial app from Norton or AVG.
8. Physical security is effective only if you routinely hide, lock and secure your devices.
9. Shop only with merchants you know and trust. (Yes, I said it again.)
This season, the only thing you should NOT lock, hide or protect are the traditional plate of cookies and milk for the “Big Guy”.
What smartphone safety tips or horror stories would you be willing to share with our readers?
