How safe will our smartphones be in the era of 5G?
Five ways of keeping your private information secure
By Peter Jobes – tech, crypto & blockchain writer having worked with the Press Association and clients like Tesco, RAC and HelpUCover. CMO at Solvid.
We now spend more time glued to our smartphones than watching TV each day – and our preference for mobile devices is only increasing.
According to figures from eMarketer, 2019 represents the first year where we will spend more time consuming mobile phone services than we will television programmes.
(According to eMarketer figures, 2019 will be the first year since the advent of the smartphone that consumers spend more time using their handheld devices than watching TV. Image: eMarketer)
eMarketer’s figures show that we spend an average of over an hour longer on our phones every day compared to just five years ago. That’s an awful lot of new personal data that we create on a daily basis.
As we approach the next decade of 5G-based smartphone technology, our average usage is forecast to rise further. But is our private information really safe now that the average person is spending almost a quarter of their waking hours using their smartphone?
How safe will our smartphones be in the era of 5G?
According to security organisation Varonis, around 24,000 malicious mobile phone apps are having to be blocked each day, and reports of malware are only increasing as smartphone usage continues to grow.
Luckily, as the intricacy of mobile phone hacking tools increases, so too does the technology available to protect our personal data. Heres, a list of five of the best ways to keep your private information secure:
Always pay attention to software updates
It can be tempting to ignore that annoying little prompt that your smartphone dishes out when a system update has been released. Especially after the revelation that Apple has been deliberately slowing down ageing iPhones within their iOS updates.
While it can sometimes feel like a chore, actively making sure your handset is running the latest version of its operating system software is vital. You might not notice much of a change in your phone after an update, but manufacturers often roll out important security fixes and firmware upgrades for their smartphones.
Apple is still a force to be reckoned with when it comes to mobile devices. But in light of iOS issues, it could be worth calling on comparison sites like Smartphone Checker to see if there are any competent alternatives out there that suit your needs.
Use a secure mobile network
If you regularly have to handle confidential information, or if you’re in need of making sure your personal data is safe on your smartphone, it could be worth switching to a secure mobile network.
There are plenty of private networks out there, but we could also see some exciting developments in safety thanks to the advent of 5G connectivity.
The arrival of 5G brings with it smarter technology that’s designed to fight against criminal behaviour. AI-based solutions are already in development by businesses like A10, which has unveiled its own ‘Zero-day Automated Protection’ program that ‘automatically recognises the characteristics of DDoS attacks and applies mitigation filters without advanced configuration or an operator’s manual intervention.’
Think twice about public networks
Connecting to public WiFi is a great way of keeping your data costs down, but if you’re not careful it could have a severe effect on your phone’s security.
The problem with public WiFi spaces is that they have the potential to be a little bit too public. As it’s a massively shared network, it makes it a lot easier for other users with bad intentions to snoop on your private information.
This isn’t to say that public WiFi is a connectivity No Man’s Land, but it’s a good idea to avoid doing things like online banking or checking your email when connected to an open network.
4G’s a much safer option when it comes to using data, but using secured, password-protected WiFi networks makes for the best experience for smartphone users.
Stay vigilant when it comes to downloading apps
As you saw earlier on in this article, 24,000 malicious apps are stopped in their tracks each day. The fact that so many are regularly rebuffed is a great sign of the power of the tools available to us in preventing data breaches. But with this in mind, it’s important to stay vigilant on app stores.
Android users should take particular care when browsing third party app stores, while all smartphone users should take a second to check to make sure everything looks right before commencing a download. If a developer’s name doesn’t look right, or an app has severely negative reviews, take a moment to think about whether you want to go ahead with your download. Some malicious apps mimic more popular services on the market like WhatsApp so users mistakenly begin the wrong download.
Consider encryption
If you’re eager to make sure no prying eyes can browse your private conversations, communicative platforms like WhatsApp and iMessage offer users the chance to encrypt their messages.
Turning encryption on for messaging services means that all calls and texts using specific platforms will be protected by end-to-end encryption. Essentially middleman, including the company providing the service, will be able to intercept your messages.
Of course, this tactic doesn’t help much should your device physically fall into the wrong hands, but it may well provide some much-needed peace of mind knowing that your private correspondence is safely locked away.
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