Just like your home computer or laptop can get a virus or a piece of malware that steals your personal information so can a smartphone. At the moment virus creators are taking advantage of the smartphone boom while the smartphone security software sector plays catch up. There have already been a few serious incidents with mobile malware and now is the time to start thinking about the security and safety of your personal data.

How Serious Is Smartphone Security?

Let’s just cut to the chase, last year (2011) the GGTracker Android virus stole over $1,000,000 from infected users. Once on your phone the virus would subscribe you to a range of premium SMS services without your knowledge. People were left with bills running into thousands of dollars, and that’s not the worst part.

The worst part comes from the amount of personal information our smartphone’s hold about us. I was one of those people that thought my smartphone doesn’t really hold that much data about me, until I actually stopped and looked at what was available. If your anything like me you probably have your email and social network accounts setup on your phone. Both of these and particularly emails can hold a lot of personal information about you. For example my emails had access details to various websites including eBay and PayPal. It also had reference to a range of details including my address, phone number and bank details that I have sent to customers in the past.

It’s only when you stop and look that you realise how much personal data your smartphone holds. What would happen if a virus was stealing all of this data? The Geinimi virus first showed its face last year and is one of the most complex pieces of mobile malware yet. It is capable of logging everything on the phone including calls and text messages as well as sending all of your personal data back to the hacker for further analysis. On top of that the hacker is also in complete control of your handset and can access the camera/microphone, make calls or send texts remotely without your knowledge.

How To Protect Yourself

Luckily for us protecting yourself from attack is actually quite easy. One of the first things I would recommend you do is go through your phone and remove any unnecessary personal information. Obviously you still need to be able to use the phone how you want to use it but remove anything you don’t need instant access to.

I would also suggest that you setup some kind of screen lock with a password of some type. Having the screen lock after a predefined period of time and then needing a password to unlock the screen is a great way to improve general smartphone security. This would prevent anyone just picking up your phone and going through it which is beneficial if the handset is lost or stolen.

Over the last few months all of the big antivirus companies have rolled out a range smartphone security software. Installing this type of software will protect you against the majority of attacks that come in the form of viruses and malware. They also offer protection from the 2 viruses mentioned earlier in the article.

The Best Smartphone Security Software

If you have a computer its likely you have some type of antivirus or antimalware application installed right? Well you need to give your smartphone the same level of thought and consideration when it comes to security. Installing a piece of smartphone security software offers fantastic protection and will help make sure all of your personal data is kept safe.

Just like their PC counterparts, these Apps will scan your phone for malicous files and deal with them. You also get regular database updates to make sure you are protected from the latest attacks.

I would personally recommend the following smartphone security software-

Kaspersky Mobile

I have tested a few different Apps and I can quite safely say that the Kaspersky mobile antivirus application is the best one by far. It has an advanced set of features and their PC antivirus products are highly regarded.

The Kaspersky Mobile suite offers advanced virus/malware protection with regular database updates to protect you from the latest attacks. It also encrypts all of your personal data so only you can access it. If you ever lose your phone or it is stolen you can instantly locate the phone remotely via GPS and wipe all personal data if you need to.

Kaspersky are constantly developing and improving the product and in my opinion it offers the best all round protection.

Learn More About Kaspersky Mobile Here

Norton Mobile Security

Norton mobile security is also worth looking at. Like Kaspersky they are well known for offering fantastic desktop virus protection and they have now branched out into the smartphone security market.

It protects against a range of threats including theft, viruses, malware and harmful downloads. The scanning runs in the background and automatically removes any threats without your interaction.

There is also a range of advanced features to help recover your phone if it’s lost or stolen. You can even send the thief messages to try and get your phone back.

Learn More About Norton Mobile Security Here

Logging Off

I hope you realise the importance of smartphone security and are taking steps to improve the security of your personal handset. Limiting the amount of personal data you store on your phone along with installing some decent smartphone security software is a good way to go. Let me know if you have any queries or need any advice with securing your smartphone.

Given the amount of personal data your iPhone stores about you, it is a good idea to learn how to secure your iPhone and protect yourself from attack. It is actually really simple to do with the right settings and iPhone antivirus software. More on that later, first I would like to explain precisely why you need to take appropriate steps to protect yourself.

Your iPhone Knows Everything

One of the biggest concerns is the huge amount of personal data the iPhone stores about you. When you actually stop and think about how much information your iPhone holds about you it is quite shocking. We use them every day and perhaps take the convenience of them for granted.

If you ever lost it or had it stolen, would your data be protected from prying eyes? Worse still, how do you know your iPhone doesn’t have a virus and granting remote access to all of your personal data?

It is important to take steps to protect yourself before anything like that happens; as it’s usually too late to do anything once it does happen.

The Most Recent iPhone Virus

Just to be clear, in general the iPhone is much more secure and less susceptible to an attack than the Android operating system. However that doesn’t mean that the iPhone hasn’t had its fair share of attacks each getting more complex as hackers develop and evolve their viruses.

The most recent exploit came through a vulnerability that was found in the way the iPhone deals with PDF files. It was possible for a hacker to gain full root access to the iPhone with this exploit. Once in they can do all sorts of damage, such as sending messages, copying your personal data, deleting your personal data, accessing a live view of the cameras/microphone and more.

It is threats like this that mean you need to take smartphone security seriously. Don’t wait to catch a virus, protect yourself now.

How To Secure Your iPhone In 5 Minutes

Following my simple tips it will take just 5 minutes to protect your iPhone from loss, theft and viruses. Just follow the steps below.

Enable Auto Screen Lock

The first thing you want to do is enable the auto screen lock feature. This will automatically lock the screen after a set period of time. To do this go to-

iPhone Settings > General Tab > Auto-Lock

Once you have enabled the auto lock feature, I would then suggest you setup a passcode to unlock the phone. This is done by going to-

iPhone Settings > General Tab > Passcode Lock

After you have enabled the auto lock and passcode lock your iPhone will be protected from both loss and theft. You won’t have to worry about anyone getting access to all of your personal data or racking up a huge phone bill in your name if you misplace your phone.

It might be inconvenient to have to enter a passcode lock every time you unlock your phone, but mobile phone theft has seen a huge rise in the past few years so taking this step to protect yourself is a good idea.

Clean Up Your Personal Data

Have a think about what personal data is currently stored on your iPhone. Is there sensitive information such as passwords or card details stored on the device? What about personal data that is stored in your E-mail account? People could gain full access to your email if they found your phone.

Just have a general clear up of any unnecessary personal data, you will be surprised what is actually on your phone.

Improve Your Web Browsing Security Settings

It is likely that you use the included iPhone Safari browser that comes with the iPhone when browsing the web. Although it is a very secure browser there are a couple of tweaks that we can make to further boost the security of the browser and the phone.

The first thing you want to do is disable popups completely. All you need to do is toggle the option found at-

iPhone Settings > Safari > Block Popups

Once you have blocked popups I would also recommend you clear your cookies. Cookies often hold authentication data and can be used to access your accounts so clearing them regularly is a good idea. Clearing your cookies is easy, just go to-

iPhone Settings > Safari > Clear Cookies

Install An iPhone Antivirus App

With the growing trend in attacks on the iPhone, we have started to see the first generation of iPhone antivirus apps and software appearing on the Apple AppStore. There are a couple available but I would recommend you stick with the Intego Virus Barrier as that is the best antivirus for iPhone at the moment.

Intego Virus Barrier

At the moment this is the cream of the crop when it comes to the iPhone antivirus app world. It is compatible with a range of iOS devices including the iPad, iPod Touch and of course the iPhone.

The app can scan for a wide range of threats and is the most comprehensive antivirus for iPhone available. Here are some of the features-

• Scan local files for viruses and malicious software
• Search within compressed files
• Checks all incoming and outgoing messages
• Checks websites as you browse
• Regular updates with new antivirus definitions

Don’t hesitate, make sure you download and install the Virusbarrier iPhone antivirus app as soon as possible. It only takes a minute!

Coming To An End

If you have followed all of the steps above Your iPhone and personal data should now be much better protected from viruses, malicious attacks, loss and theft. If you’re in a rush and don’t have time to read through the full article and do the steps now then make sure you bookmark it and do it as soon as possible. Make sure you install some sort of iPhone antivirus application at the very least.

If you haven’t taken iPhone security into consideration before, then read on to learn everything you need to know and how to protect yourself from attack.

Why You Need To Take iPhone Security Seriously

Your iPhone pretty much knows everything about you, have you ever stopped to think just how much personal data is on your iPhone? All of your contacts, email accounts, Facebook details, personal photographs, videos and much more is stored on the device. Although iPhone security is general better than Android, the iPhone is still vulnerable to a range of attacks.

What would happen if your iPhone was lost or stolen and all of this information was available to someone with malicious intentions? What about if a hacker had remote access to all of the data on your iPhone through a virus?

Unfortunately iPhone security is an afterthought for most people who find themselves helpless if they are targeted.

A Recent iPhone Security Threat Example

There have been a number of critical iPhone security threats since the iPhone was first launched. It was possible to bypass the pass lock by choosing to make an emergency call and entering ### on the keypad.

One of the more recent examples though was much more serious. Previous security issues were only a threat if you had lost your iPhone or if it was stolen but this changed in 2011.

A critical flaw was found in the way iOS deals with fonts from PDF files. This vulnerability would allow a remote hacker to gain root access to the iPhone and pretty much do what they wanted.

This would allow hackers to install malware/viruses as well as have full access to personal information such as emails, text messages, contacts, passwords and online banking data. It was also feasible for hacks to be able to view the iPhone’s cameras, access GPS data and listen in on phone calls.

How To Protect Yourself

When the PDF security issue was first discovered, there was no such thing as iPhone antivirus or anyway to defend the attack. Since then things have changed and it’s now much easier to improve iPhone security and protect yourself from attack. Here are my top tips to secure your iPhone.

Enable Auto Lock

The auto lock screen feature of the iPhone is one of the most basic security options you should have enabled. This will lock the screen after a pre-defined period and should be used in conjunction with the passcode lock feature.

To enable this go to iPhone Settings > General Tab > Auto-Lock and choose an auto lock time period to suit you.

Enable Passcode Lock

The passcode lock feature is also very easy to enable. You can setup a predefined passcode so whenever the iPhone’s screen is locked you will need to enter a password to unlock it again. This is a great way to keep people locked out of your iPhone if it’s lost or stolen.

Enabling it is easy, just go to iPhone Settings > General Tab > Passcode Lock and then follow the onscreen instructions to setup your passcode.

Avoid Using Public Wi-Fi

When your out and about try to avoid connecting to free Wi-Fi hotspots. Connecting to a Wi-Fi hotspots will give you fast internet access via your iPhone, but it also gives malicious users full access to your phone.

It is possible for someone to see exactly which websites you have accessed, and steal all of your login details. This includes and is not limited to Facebook, Twitter, Email Accounts, PayPal and online banking.

So make sure you stick to either your own home Wi-Fi or a reliable Wi-Fi provider like BT Openzone. Avoid connecting to random Wi-Fi hotspots you find while on your travels if possible. If you do have to connect to one, try and avoid logging into any sites.

Browse The Web With Safari

The iPhone Safari web browser comes with its own set of security settings which are worth checking out. One of the first things you should do is make sure popups are blocked. To double check if that option is enabled go to iPhone Settings > Safari > Block Popups.

It is also a good idea to clear your cookies on a regular basis. Cookies often hold information about account authentication and browsing history etc so you should be clearing them out every now and then. To clear them go to iPhone Settings > Safari > Clear Cookies.

Limit Personal Data

Although the iPhone is the ultimate in convenience, don’t just sign your entire life over the device. Be careful what types of data you store on the device, for example you should not be storing your bank account details, website logins, credit/debit card details or pin numbers directly on the iPhone.

#1 Tip – Install An iPhone Security App

For years there was no such thing as iPhone Security apps, but as this has become a bigger issue we are starting to see the first wave of iPhone security apps hit the Appstore.

Intego recently released the first malware scanner for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch called VirusBarrier iOS. This neat little iPhone security app can carry out on demand scanning of a range of things including-

• Scans all local files for malware and viruses
• Also pickups any malware for Windows, Mac and Linux
• Scans compressed zip files
• Repairs files that have been infected
• Scans email attachments and web downloads
• Can scan remote locations such as DropBox
• Scan websites for possible threats and malware
• Automatic update
• All scans are done in the background

You can download the Virusbarrier iOS iPhone security app here and I would personally recommend you do so immediately.

And Thats That!

Hopefully you now fully understand why iPhone security is a growing issue, why you should take it seriously and more importantly how to protect yourself from attacks. At the very least you should be installing an iPhone security app as well as following the tips above. If you have any other questions or concerns about iPhone security then please get in touch with me and I’ll do my best to help you out.

It is highly important that you take the right steps to secure your phone due to the amount of personal data it holds about you. If you stop and think for a second it is actually quite frightening to think about what your smartphone actually holds about you. Pretty much everything from your personal emails to social network accounts. Let’s not forget the fact that your smartphone also has direct access to your bank account through your phone bill.

If you have a computer at home then it is likely you have taken extra steps to protect it through some kind of antivirus application. You need to pay the same level of care to the security of your smartphone.

Why You Should Take Smartphone Security Seriously

Since Google Android was released a few years back, it has spread like wild fire as has very quickly become the most popular and widely used mobile operating system. Google say there are now activating over 500,000 brand new Android devices every single day. Yes you read that right, half a million new Android devices spring to life for the first time every day.

One of the biggest issues though isn’t the amount of personal data our smartphones hold about us, but it is the direct access to our bank accounts they provide. It is very easy for a virus to sign you up to premium SMS services and call premium rate numbers in the background without your knowledge racking up huge bills. Naturally the virus creator takes a cut from the use of the premium services.

So when you combine the huge growing user base, the amount of personal data on our smartphones and an easy way to extract money the incentive for virus writers is pretty strong. No longer do they face the challenges of a PC based virus which would still need the victim to enter their banking details at some point. That’s just not a problem for smartphone viruses, especially when most users haven’t protected themselves with one of the best Android antivirus apps.

Recent Android Virus Examples

Although there have been quite a few significant threats to Android in 2011 (iPhone security is much better), there are 2 viruses that really stood out for me. One of them even managed to steal over a million dollars and continues to steal money from people on a daily basis.

The Geinimi Virus
Imagine if your virus had infected millions of Android devices and you had every single one of them at your complete control. Whether that’s to download all of the personal data, monitor your location, listen in to your phone anytime, view the camera or to make calls and send messages without your knowledge.

Well that is what Geinimi does, and it is one of the most advanced Android viruses that have been seen to date. Although it hasn’t been used to cause any significant damage yet, there is a virus that has.

The GGTracker Virus
While this virus is no way near as complex as Geinimi, it has done significantly more damage throughout 2011. The GGTracker virus gets disguised as a helpful application or a clone of a popular game. Once users install these rogue apps and games they become infected with the virus.

Behind the scenes GGTracker subscribes you to a list of premium rate SMS services quietly racking up huge bills. In just 2011 alone the virus managed to steal over a million dollars from its infected users and continues to steal money from people today.

These are just 2 examples of the current threats to Android devices and the best Android antivirus apps will help to protect you from them and more.

Protecting Your Android Device Is Easy

Luckily for us it is actually quite easy to protect your device from these kinds of attacks. In fact if you follow me tips, your device will be secure in just 5 minutes time!

Enable Password Protection
Although some people use screen lock pass codes and gestures, many of us don’t bother. I used to be one of those that didn’t bother until one day I lost my smartphone and slowly began to realise how serious it was. Luckily for me my phone had been handed in and no damage was done, but it could have been much worse.

Enabling password protection takes less than 30 seconds to do and I highly recommend it. Although it doesn’t protect you from viruses (more on that shortly) it does give you that extra peace of mind your device is ever lost or stolen.

To enable it just go to Settings then Security and Setup. The onscreen instructions will guide you through the set up.

Stick To The Android Market
Although the official Android market is by far the most popular source for apps and games many people use others. It is a good idea to stick to the official marketplace as you do not know what steps 3rd party’s take to try and secure their marketplace from rogue applications.

Although the official marketplace has housed a few viruses, Google have acted quickly on removing them. They have also made it clear that they will be implementing additional security checks into the marketplace specifically targeting viruses and malware.

Install An Android Antivirus Application
Installing an Android antivirus application gives you high levels of protection from threats instantly. Your PC has antivirus software, and so should your Android device. I will be discussing the best Android antivirus apps below.

The Best Android Antivirus Apps

There have been quite a few Android antivirus apps spring up recently. Out of all of them I have found these ones to be the best-

Kaspersky Mobile Security

In my opinion this is the best Android antivirus app. However I am slightly biased because I have been a long term fan of the Kaspersky antivirus products for the PC.

Features include-

• Advanced virus protection with regular updates
• Privacy protection, secure your personal data
• Locate your phone remotely if lost or stolen
• Encrypts all of your files
• Wipe all data from your phone remotely if its lost or stolen
• A range of parental control features

Kaspersky are always updating their mobile security product and I have been very happy with it so far!

Click Here To Visit The Kaspersky Mobile Website

Bullguard Mobile Security

Just like Kaspersky, the solution from Bullguard is also widely regarded as one of the best Android antivirus apps out there. It offers a similar range of features with great support.

• Virus protection with regular database updates
• A range of anti theft features including remote wipe
• Monitor your child’s location and calls with parental controls
• Regular backups of important data like contacts
• A dedicated support team 24/7

Click Here To Visit The Bullguard Mobile Site

There really isn’t that much between Bullguard and Kaspersky, you can’t go wrong with either of them!

Thankyou & Goodbye

Hopefully you now fully understand why you need to take Android viruses seriously. Please make sure you act on the tips I’ve suggested in this article, you should certainly install one of the best Android antivirus apps at the very least.

If you have any questions or concerns, then I’m more than happy to help. Just get in touch and I will do my best for you. But please whatever you do install an Android antivirus application as soon as possible.

Android security has become a hot topic lately with increasing amounts of malware reports in the last half of 2011. While people take the security of their home computers seriously installing antivirus software, most people leave their smartphones completely unprotected.

You might not think Android security is that important, but just stop to think for a minute what kind of information about your personal life your smartphone holds. Not only does it have all of your contacts, emails (where passwords for other sites can be found) and social networks, but it also offers hackers direct access to your bank account by subscribing you to premium rate SMS subscriptions without your knowledge.

Why Android Security Is An Issue

McAfee found that 63% of attacks targeted Android during Q2 2011

Over the last couple of years there has been a steady rise in the amount of malware floating around for Android and the number of infected devices is increasing day by day. According to McAfee in the last 6 months Android has been the target for nearly 2 thirds of all mobile malware attacks.

Direct Access To Your Bank Account

One of the biggest motivators for Android malware creators is the instant access they have to your bank account. Typically malware will sign you up to multiple premium rate SMS subscription services, or call premium rate numbers in the background which provide direct income streams for hackers.

When you consider the fact that a computer based virus still needs someone to enter their credit card details in order to steal money, this isn’t necessary with smartphones. That’s a pretty big motivator for anyone creating malware and is a huge reason why Android security is a hot issue.

The GGTracker virus stole over 1 million dollars from users in 2011 alone.

Personal Data Ahoy!

I briefly touched on that amount of personal data your smartphone holds before, but wanted to discuss it in more detail. Think about the potential personal data your smartphone can hold such as-

E-mail Access
It’s likely in your email account, you have a bunch of logins for various websites you have signed up to. If you’re the type of person that uses the same or similar passwords for every website, this leaves you pretty exposed. Your Facebook password is different from your PayPal password right? Also with access to your emails people can just use the lost password function on websites to gain full access to whatever they like.

Pictures & Videos
With HD video recording and high megapixel cameras on smartphones, we are using them more and more to capture those precious memories or bang tidy pictures of your other half.

Browsing History & Logins
You might also use your smartphone to browse the web. Although it’s convenient to save the login details for a website, it does leave them accessible for others.

Your Location
Pretty much every smartphone has a GPS sensor now and while you probably only use it for navigation, malicious software might have a different use in mind. Hackers could track your location in real time, or access cached files on the device to see where you have been in the past.

Contact Information
Names, phone numbers, addresses, social network ID’s, email addresses and birthdays to name a few.

Social Networks
It’s more than likely you have the Facebook for Android app installed right? A direct link into your personal life in just a click away.

There is literally a treasure trove of information for hackers to exploit as they see fit. It is becoming more and more important to take Android security seriously.

Recent Android Security Threats

There has been a huge wave of Android specific attacks over the last year. Here’s an example of just 2 of them and what they did-

GGTracker
Whoever created this piece of malware is certainly laughing all the way to the bank, successfully stealing over 1 million dollars from infected users. GGTracker would disguise itself as a useful App, however behind the scenes it’s secretly racking up your phone bill. Signing you up to SMS subscriptions and calling premium rate numbers without your knowledge.

Geinimi
Although the Geinimi malware hasn’t actually stolen anyone’s money, it has the potential to do significantly more damage on a global scale. Once it finds its way onto your device, your phone becomes part of a huge botnet of devices that are under the hackers control remotely. The hacker can not only send commands to the phone remotely but can also take copy’s of all of your personal data in a snap and you would never know.

How To Protect Yourself

Luckily for us as malware attacks have increased so have the amount of techniques available to protect yourself from attack. Here are my tops tips to secure your Android device-

Password Protect Your Phone
This might be an obvious one but many people don’t bother with it. If you lost your phone or had it stolen and it didn’t have a password lock on it, then a potentially malicious user will have instant access to everything. It only takes a second to setup, just go into Settings > Security > Setup Screen Lock and follow the onscreen instructions.

Only Use The Official Android Market
One of the easiest ways for your handset to get infected is by installing a rogue app. It’s a good idea to stick to the official Google Android Marketplace when searching for new applications. Although there have been a handful of malicious applications found in the official market, Google are making continued efforts to reduce this.

Install An Android Security App
If you have a PC, then it’s likely you have installed some kind of antivirus software or malware checker? it is important that you protect your smartphone in the same way. There a number of android security and antivirus applications available which I will discuss in more detail below-

The Best Android Security Apps

There are quite a few to choose from, personally I use the Kaspersky Mobile Security suite as I have been a long time Kaspersky user for my home and business computers protection. Let’s take a closer look at some of the best Android security apps that are available-

Kaspersky Mobile Security

As I mentioned, I have been a long term user of Kaspersky’s products and the Kaspersky Mobile Security suite offers a broad range of protection for your Android device, features include-

• Malware Protection – Provides real time scanning for malicious activity with regular updates for protection from new threats
• Privacy Protection – Keeps your contacts, text messages and call logs hidden
• Locate Your Phone – If your phone is lost or stolen, you can instantly find its location remotely
• Secure Your Files – Encrypts all of your data including photos and videos
• Remote Wipe – If you can’t recover your lost or stolen phone, you can remove all of the data remotely
• Parental Control – Restrict your child’s calls and SMS ability’s, make sure they are in a safe place with GPS

Kaspersky Mobile Android Security offers a comprehensive range of protection from loss, theft and malicious software.

Learn More About Kaspersky Mobile

Bullguard Mobile Security

One of the other best Android security apps is Bullguard Mobile Android Security. It has a great range of features, and a few things that Kaspersky doesn’t which might be appealing to some users-

• Virus & Malware Protection – Protects against a range of attacks including those delivered via text message, email and Bluetooth
• Anti Theft – If you lose your phone or it gets stolen you can find its location and wipe any date remotely
• Parental Control – Use the Bullguard web interface to monitor your child’s phone including location, text messages and photos
• Backup – Bullguard will also make regular backups of important data like your contacts
• Support – They have 24/7 support via live chat or e-mail

Learn More About Bullguard Mobile

To be honest you can’t really go wrong with Bullguard, as I said the only reason I picked Kaspersky is because I have used them for my computers for many years. They are both very good Android antivirus applications.

Signing Off

Hopefully you are now fully aware of the threats of Android security and how to protect yourself sufficiently. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions, I’m more than happy to answer them!