No matter where you go now it’s hard not to see someone with a smartphone. During the last year the smartphone market has boomed and it seems every man and his dog has one. They have changed the way we communicate and go about our personal lives forever. However the recent boom has brought smartphone security to the forefront of the antivirus and malware battle front.
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.