Your smartphone contains personal data you want to keep private when you dispose your old phone. To protect your privacy, completely erase data off of your phone and reset the phone to its initial factory settings. Then, donate, resell, recycle, or otherwise properly dispose of your phone.

Do not alter security settings for convenience. Tampering with your phone’s factory settings, jailbreaking, or rooting your phone undermines the built-in security features offered by your wireless service and smartphone, while making it more susceptible to an attack.

Accessing the internet with your phone’s data is more secure than doing so with the public Wi-Fi offered at places like coffee shops and airports. Hackers can easily invade these networks and track all the activity that goes on in them. So when you don’t have access to a VPN, use your 4G, 5G, or […]

The major wireless service providers, in coordination with the FCC, have established a stolen phone database. If your phone is stolen, you should report the theft to your local law enforcement authorities and then register the stolen phone with your wireless provider. This will provide notice to all the major wireless service providers that the […]

You should keep your phone’s operating system software up to date by enabling automatic updates or accepting updates when prompted from your service provider, operating system provider, device manufacturer, or application provider. By keeping your operating system current, you reduce the risk of exposure to cyber threats.

Properly secure the wireless network you use to connect Internet-enabled devices. Consider placing these devices on a separate and dedicated network. Whether it’s your computer, smartphone, game device, or other network devices, the best defense is to stay on top of things by updating to the latest security software, web browser, and operating systems. If […]