Business owners are already aware of the importance of protecting their assets.
Cybersecurity, however, is often over-simplified to terms of on-site tech in the workplace. Smartphone security commonly goes missed.
Some small and medium business owners, in particular, think that it’s less likely to fall prey to hackers at low-profile organizations. According to Verizon’s 2019 Data Breach Investigations Report, however, 43% of data breaches involved small business owners as a product of lax security.
Business smartphones—whether belonging to an employee or the company—merit special security to keep data safe. Here are the six steps to do just that.
- Update your OS and apps right away
Most of us are guilty of postponing (or ignoring) systems updates. Reverse this habit immediately. Most of the updates made to OS and apps are to patch vulnerabilities, so the most recent version of the system will be the most secure. - Always lock your home screen
Locking your home screen is one of the fundamental ways to keep your information private and your device secure. Ensure the phone settings automatically lock your screen after your device is unused for a set number of seconds. - Use two-factor authentication
Don’t let the tediousness discourage you—adding two-factor authentication on smartphones is an essential business practice today. This can include passwords and biometric readings such as fingerprints. - Use Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wisely
Most of us jump onto a free public Wi-Fi connection without a second thought. If you’re carrying sensitive information in your smartphone, though, exercise greater caution. It’s also best to disable Bluetooth whenever you’re not using it. - Manage your app permissions
Check each of the apps on your phone and decide what privileges they have. For example, you can grant permission to access your location only when the app is in use. Permissions to camera and microphone access are personalizable, too. - Back up your data often
We can’t prepare for all the bad stuff that can happen, but we can easily save our data on a regular basis to minimize the impact of the bad stuff when it does occur.
Bottom Line
Most businesspeople see their smartphones as an extension of their business, and rightly so. Keeping security top-of-mind will ensure your smartphone continues to be a tool for business instead of a liability.
Questions? Concerns about your own smartphone security? Contact us today.