Smartphones have become the control center of our digital lives and indispensable personal assistants we carry everywhere. But these compact computer powerhouses also carry huge risks if not properly secured.
The sensitive data persistently flowing into and out of smartphones presents juicy targets for increasingly clever hackers. From identity theft to bank fraud to stolen assets and invaded privacy, the potential consequences of a mobile security breach range from inconvenient to downright devastating.
Fortunately, with vigilance and the right security tactics, smartphone users can effectively shield themselves from the vast majority of cyber threats aiming to exploit mobile technology. This comprehensive guide will examine those threats in-depth while offering actionable advice to lock down your personal smartphone fortress.
Our Growing Mobile Dependence
Recent statistics demonstrate just how reliant we’ve become on smartphones:
- 81% of Americans now own smartphones including nearly all 18-29 year olds
- 50% of smartphone owners say they “couldn’t live without” their phones
- 60% immediately check phones within 15 minutes of waking up
- Across all demographics, over 5 hours a day is spent on phones
And consider what these always-connected devices now control:
- Email inboxes with years of messages and attached files
- Numerous social media accounts holding personal info and conversations
- Access to bank accounts and credit cards
- Apps allowing mobile payments like Apple Pay and Google Pay
- Photo albums containing tens of thousands of private images
- Full histories of web browsing activity
- Direct lines via text and messaging to family, friends and colleagues
- Real-time GPS tracking of location down to the street address
For cybercriminals, smartphones represent a goldmine — vast troves of personal data and access to financial accounts centralized into a single device almost always kept within arm‘s reach.
Hence the urgent need to lock down these assets before they fall into the wrong hands.
So let‘s survey the most common smartphone security threats and proven techniques to combat them.
Mobile Malware Viruses and Vagabonds
Malicious software (malware) has plagued Windows PCs for decades. And increasing ranks of hackers now target smartphones with similar viruses, trojans, spyware and other malware purpose-built for mobile operating systems.
While overall malware infections remain statistically lower on phones versus PCs, the gap is narrowing each year as mobile usage continues to eclipse traditional computing:
| Year | % Increase in Mobile Malware |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 15% |
| 2021 | 44% |
| 2022 | 63% (projected) |
Malware Tactics
Like computer malware, mobile malware employs various tactics to infiltrate devices and carry out nefarious actions that harm or exploit victims:
Social Engineering – Convincing messaging that tricks users into installing malware by disguising it as a system update, necessary plug-in or other legitimate-seeming software.
Drive-By Downloads – Visiting compromised sites that automatically install malware onto the device without any action by the user.
App Store Cons – Fake or compromised apps in app stores that claim to provide useful utilities but actually install malware or spyware.
texts and messages containing links or attachments with embedded malware. Once clicked or installed by the victim, the malware has free reign of the mobile device.
Malware Motives
Successful mobile malware infections open up smartphones for various criminal objectives:
Data Theft – Copying and transmitting personal photos, messages, emails, logins and other private user data back to the hackers.
Spying – Tracking user location history through GPS while secretly recording through cameras and microphones.
Ransomware – Encrypting data files on the device then demanding payment to decrypt them back to usable form.
Crypto Mining – Running crypto currency mining software in the background to leach processing power for financial gain by the hackers.
Botnets – Conscripting the smartphone into a network of devices controlled remotely by hackers to facilitate larger cyber crimes.
Service Fraud – Generating expensive text messages and phone calls from an infected device to premium numbers that charge exorbitant fees.
Banking Fraud – Initiating fraudulent bank transfers and credit card charges by stealing login credentials or utilizing services like Apple Pay from the compromised mobile device.
This small sampling demonstrates the financial incentives driving hackers to continuously refine mobile malware.
Now let‘s move on to phishing, one of the most prevalent techniques that often paves the way for malware installation…
Phishing: The Bait for Mobile Breaches
Phishing employs carefully crafted digital messages to lure victims into providing sensitive personal information or downloading malware. Hackers have adapted phishing from email to fully exploit smartphones via SMS/text messaging, phone calls, messaging apps and mobile sites.
As an example, SMS phishing texts pretending to be package delivery notifications from Amazon, USPS and others skyrocketed during the 2020-2021 online shopping boom according NFLD Natural Language Processing Data:
| Year | Monthly SMS Phishing Texts | % Increase Over Prior Year |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 11 million | n/a |
| 2020 | 37 million | 236% |
| 2021 | 92 million | 149% |
With so much personal and financial data residing on smartphones, users make prime targets for phishing no matter where they connect online.
Some common phishing tactics include:
Spear Phishing – Highly customized texts or emails targeting the mobile user by name and containing other personal details often scraped from social media sites to establish legitimacy.
SMSishing – Fraudulent confirmation codes sent via SMS text to access and reset account passwords.
Vishing – Phone calls or voicemails impersonating banks, tech support or other organizations to elicit personal information by voice.
Smishing – Phishing via messaging apps like WhatsApp to spread malware or coordinate other social engineering cons.
QR Codes – Fake QR codes posted in public locations or sent digitally that load malware when scanned by the mobile device rather than the promised service.
Pyramid Schemes – Invitations to get rich quick or access free giveaways that demand installing apps or sharing contacts to spread the scam wider.
Rogue Mobile Sites – Imposter websites accessed on smartphones that closely mimic legitimate businesses to capture entered customer data.
These tactics all leverage the convenience and trust we instill in our mobile devices against us. But with cautionApplied, most phishing attempts can be recognized before falling victim.
Now let‘s examine network connections and why open WiFi presents one of the biggest smartphone security loopholes…
Connect with Caution on Public WiFi
That free public WiFi sure is tempting isn’t it? Coffee shops, hotels, airports, malls – no password required to connect and browse freely. But that accessibility comes with serious downsides when it comes to security.
Unencrypted open WiFi networks allow other connected users to easily intercept transmitted data including logins, passwords and personal messages.
And compromised WiFi doesn’t only mean hackers snooping from a nearby table. Clever attackers hide networks with legitimate sounding names that victims inadvertently connect to, thinking they are utilizing the legitimate business’s open connection.
Once connected, all data becomes open to inspection and exploitation using a tactic called ‘man-in-the-middle attack’. Or hackers set uphigh-powered ‘evil twin’ networks with stronger signals that devices latch onto instead of the legitimate network.
Short of avoiding public WiFi entirely, the best defense is using a trusted VPN (Virtual Private Network) service. A VPN application on your phone encrypts and tunnels all network data to prevent interception or manipulation.
Free public WiFi presents a tempting conduit for hackers to intercept data. Using a VPN thwarts these WiFi security threats.
Bluetooth connections also introduce vulnerabilities for proximal hackers to exploit…
Bluetooth Networks Offer Connectivity Convenience But Often Lack Security
Bluetooth allows convenient cord-free connectivity between smartphones and other nearby enabled devices like wireless headphones, speakers, cars and more. But Bluetooth connections are often prime for hacking even when data isn’t being actively transmitted.
That’s because Bluetooth networks have undiscoverable lengths of time where connections remain open – vulnerable windows maliciously used to transmit malware to or from your smartphone.
Bluetooth hacking requires proximity but presents worrisome risks given how oblivious most users are regarding Bluetooth connectivity status. Short distance Bluetooth data intercepts and malware transmission takes mere seconds.
Here are just a few Bluetooth-related smartphone attack surfaces:
- Bluetooth scanning apps like WallWatcher used to identify nearby devices, probe connections and intercept data.
- BlueBorne malware that spreads through active Bluetooth connections to infect smartphones and take control of system functions.
- Juice Jacking via public USB charging stations that also have embedded Bluetooth radios to spread malware to connected phones.
- Bluediving where hackers gain access to paired Bluetooth devices like cars once compromised owner smartphones connect.
Mitigating Bluetooth related threats involves minimizing unnecessary connections, monitoring paired device access, and toggling Bluetooth off when not actively in use.
Now onto the physical security challenges of lost or stolen mobile devices…
Lost and Stolen Devices Open Door to Personal Data Theft
Beyond digital data threats, lacking physical security for your smartphone also presents hackers opportunity to directly access everything saved on your device.
According to Consumer Reports and DOJ statistics:
- 2.5 million Americans report lost or stolen smartphones annually
- Less than 10% of stolen smartphones are ever recovered
- Up to 70% lack strong screen passcodes leaving data readily accessible
- 67% fail to enable device tracking apps to help locate lost phones
Despite the myriad digital threats, physical access can provide the easiest path towards identity and data theft. Without passcode, fingerprint or facial recognition protections in place, thieves scroll through contacts, emails, texts and photos without restriction. Any still logged into accounts also then grant access to associated online assets.
- Enable strong screen locks using longer passcodes, fingerprints or facial recognition to prevent unauthorized access
- Use tracking apps like Find My Phone or Tile to help quickly locate misplaced devices
- Remotely wipe phone data if no recovery expectation
- Change account passwords accessed via mobile apps orbrowser sessions
This leads into proper password protocols which form one of the easiest first steps to instantly boosting mobile protection.
Guard Access With Strong Unique Passwords
Secure passwords act as the gateway defense against nearly all smartphone data theft and unauthorized account access. Using weak, reused or outdated passwords undermines all other security efforts by providing easy-to-guess keys to the kingdom.
Here are essential mobile password protocols:
- Use different passwords across all accounts
- Randomly generate passwords for each app and site
- Implement passphrases of 12+ characters
- Sprinkle uppercase, lowercase, special characters and numbers
- Store securely with a password manager rather than memorizing
| Password Manager | Free Option | Unique Features |
|---|---|---|
| LastPass | Limited account | Broad platform support |
| 1Password | 30 Day Trial | Top ratings |
| Keeper | Limited account | Extreme security focus |
Proper passwords won’t wholly prevent smartphone data theft and account hijacking – but lack thereof practically rolls out the red carpet for attackers.
Now let‘s move onto app permissions which so often get overlooked…
App Permissions: Know What You‘re Agreeing To!
In our quest for ever greater convenience and connectivity in mobile apps, we’ve collectively become far too complacent clicking “Accept” to permission requests without actually understanding what access we thereby enable.
Many apps request location services, photo library and contact access that have no applicable need other than to data mine user activity. For example:
- Flashlight apps asking to track GPS coordinates
- Puzzle games needing phone sensor and usage access
- Horoscope apps requiring contact details and email access
The majority of apps simply don’t require the extent of permissions requested to function. And compromised apps actively exploit overzealous allowances.
Get in the habit of meticulously reviewing permission requests, evaluating actual need versus data harvesting fishing expeditions.
Both iOS and Android allow selectively disabling specific permissions while still allowing apps to work properly.
Similarly critical is regularly reviewing installed apps and removing any no longer used – eliminating potential forgotten backdoors.
Rely on Built-In Encryption
Encryption utilizes complex mathematical algorithms to scramble data. It’s used to protect sensitive data like financial records, medical documents and state secrets against unauthorized access.
Modern smartphones can encrypt internal storage as an added safeguard if the device gets stolen or digitally compromised by malware.
Encryption mixes up data saved on the smartphone. Only with the proper encryption key can the information get unscrambled back into usable form.
The encryption keys unlocking the data mostly stay securely on the device. And encrypted data remains indecipherable when transmitted off the phone.
Enabling built-in smartphone encryption provides blanket protection for all your mobile data should the phone fall prey to thieves or hackers.
Both Android and iPhone offer storage encryption options, though iPhone enables it by default once a passcode gets set. While motivating thieves to quickly wipe smartphones if stolen, encryption strongly shields data for those misplaced or still remotely recoverable.
Just be sure to safely backup your encryption key externally. Losing that renders a stolen then recovered smartphone useless!
Now onto the final but equally vital best practice of maintaining regular backups…
Backups: Digital Insurance Against Data Disasters
Between ever more sophisticated malware, device failures, accidental deletions, theft and hardware damage, smartphone data disasters loom around every corner. Photos, files and videos holding sentimental value remain especially vulnerable to permanent loss.
To hedge against data disasters, maintaining regular and redundant backups is strongly advised.
Backups create secondary copies of data like photos, messages and contacts on alternate devices or cloud storage allowing restoration when the primary smartphone fails for whatever reason.
Ideally backups occur both periodically and automatically to remove the responsibility of manual remembering.
But even manual periodic backup solutions provide insurance against catastrophe. Options include:
Cloud Services – Automatically sync specified data and files to supplementary cloud storage linked to user accounts. Apple iCloud and Google Drive offer robust integrated smartphone solutions while Microsoft OneDrive, Dropbox and others also sync cloud backups.
Desktop/Laptop Sync – Backup and sync mobile device data to a linked personal computer for local redundancy.
External Drives – Manually backup phone contents onto external hard drives, SSDs or USB flash drives. Provides physical backup copies storable in secure locations.
No one actually likes backing up smartphones any more than people want to pay insurance premiums. But when disaster strikes and data gets erased, backups make recovery possible.
So be sure to setup recurring backups to spare yourself major hassle down the road!
Securing Your Smartphone Is Serious Business
This concludes our extensive guide to locking down smartphones and the valuable data they carry from the exploding threats targeting mobile technology every day.
Implementing even a few of these security protocols greatly reduces your chances of becoming just another victim statistic while preventing loss of valuable digital memories or assets.
Don’t wait until misfortune occurs! Please take proactive steps to backup your data and make device security priorities sooner than later in a mobile threat landscape that only grows more hazardous by the year.
