{"id":20742,"date":"2019-03-04T12:08:17","date_gmt":"2019-03-04T20:08:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.spokeo.com\/compass\/?p=20742"},"modified":"2022-04-13T12:25:47","modified_gmt":"2022-04-13T20:25:47","slug":"dont-be-like-bezos-phone-security-101","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.spokeo.com\/compass\/dont-be-like-bezos-phone-security-101\/","title":{"rendered":"Don’t Be Like Bezos: Phone Security 101"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

It’s been somewhat of a stormy few weeks for Amazon. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Its massive plan for a new headquarters in New York City got shut down<\/a>, and its CEO became embroiled in a messy divorce scandal complete with steamy (or nauseating, depending on your point of view) leaked text messages and compromising photos<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bezos is the richest man in the world<\/a>, with an estimated net worth of $137 billion dollars. But no amount of money can protect you when it comes to sharing sensitive information over the phone. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sexy Texts, Unsexy\nLeaks<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The details are not entirely substantiated (to say the least), but it appears that the Amazon CEO\u2019s racy texts were leaked by his mistress\u2019 brother<\/a>. According to the Daily Beast, Bezos has launched his own investigation into the matter. However, it\u2019s still not entirely clear what caused the private messages to enter the public record (no one has been accused of a crime yet, and the texts don\u2019t appear to have been hacked).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Needless to say, all of this could\u2019ve been prevented with a few simple steps. Here are a few ways to protect your sensitive data from being leaked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Secure Your Lock Screen<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As annoying as it may sometimes be to have to\nenter a passcode or swipe a pattern everytime you want to use your phone, a\nsecure lockscreen is absolutely essential when it comes to keeping your\ninformation secure. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you choose to use a pattern instead of a\npasscode, make sure it\u2019s something random enough to confound even the most\ngeometrically-inclined hacker. A simple square or a star is not going to cut\nit. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you choose to protect your lockscreen with a passcode or password, go for something complex and known only to you. No birthdates. No kid\u2019s names. Hackers know the kinds of bad passwords<\/a> everyday people like to use, so you\u2019ll need to get a little creative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You should think of stop thinking of passwords\nas words and start thinking of them as phrases; use combinations of upper and\nlower case letters, numbers and symbols. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also, be sure to avoid using the same\npattern\/code more than once, and change\/update your lockscreen frequently.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Download Mobile Malware Protection<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Malware<\/a> is short for \u201cmalicious software,\u201d and\nis used to describe things that can \u201cinfect\u201d your phone: viruses, worms,\nspyware, adware etc. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Downloading good Anti-malware protection software is an essential tool for protecting your data security online. Even the savviest iPhone user  isn\u2019t immune to clicking on a spam link or accidentally downloading malware. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Use Two-Step Authentication<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Using an Android? Enable Google\u2019s\n2-Step Verification<\/a> to ensure that you retain sole access to your\nGmail, Google Drive and Play Store accounts, even if you lose your password.\nIt\u2019s easy to set-up and will immediately add a much-needed second layer of\nsecurity to your phone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Cover Your Screen<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Remember how your mom or dad used to plead\nwith you to cover your mouth when you sneezed? Well, I\u2019m here to plead with you\nto cover your screen when you text!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not hard to let your guard down when\nyou\u2019re on your phone at the coffee shop or on the train. While 99% of your\nneighbors are likely not in the least interested in what you\u2019re doing, a nosey\none can easily side-eye your passcode, email password and private photos when\nyou aren\u2019t looking. Always be aware of what others can see.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Check Your Digital Footprint<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Given that we spend on average 24 hours a week\nonline, it\u2019s not a surprise that we tend to leave some things behind: dormant\nsocial media profiles, forum comments, even a photo or two (thousand). The data\nwe leave behind is known as a \u201cdigital footprint.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many of us forget all the things we do online.\nDo you remember all the posts you made or photos you uploaded 10 years ago? The\ninternet probably does. And if there\u2019s personal information in there, all the\nbetter for a hacker. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While a simple Google search may job your memory, we recommend using a dedicated people search engine<\/a>, which allows you to search yourself by name, home address<\/a>, phone number<\/a> or email address<\/a>. A reverse email search is particularly useful, as it will bring up any past social media profiles you may have created and show what\u2019s public. Then you can take the next step by accessing those social media accounts and deleting whatever information may be of use to a criminal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. Beware of Phone Scammers<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s an endless variety of online scams out\nthere, from phishing texts (\u201csmishes\u201d: messages that redirect you to a\nfraudulent website in hopes of getting you to enter your data),  to “catfish” romance scams<\/a> on dating\nsites. Though their methods may vary, online fraudsters are essentially all\nconfidence tricksters: they want to secure your trust and have you let your\nguard down. Don\u2019t let them. Avoid opening emails, texts, security alerts etc.\nfrom people you don\u2019t know. Don\u2019t share personal information before ensuring\nyou know the person asking for it. Needless to say, never text or send photos\nto someone you haven\u2019t met in person first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to know who\u2019s emailing or calling\nyou, do a background\nsearch<\/a> to verify their identity. If you don\u2019t recognize them, back\naway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

7. Don\u2019t Send Racy Images in the First Place<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Okay, so this one may seem a little glib, but c\u2019mon…is it really<\/em> worth the risk? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It’s been somewhat of a stormy few weeks for Amazon. 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