Spring Cleaning Your Mobile Device


5/1/2017

Spending extra time on your phone in the dead of winter may have left you with some security issues that can be corrected with a nice spring cleanup! The MNB IT Department has tips to help.

Spring Cleaning for your Mobile Device

Refresh your phone
    o Download the latest updates to both the operating system and apps.

Dump old apps
    o Uninstall apps you no longer use which may have security holes.

Sweep your cache
    o Clear out the browsing history and cache on the phone and apps to help speed up load time.

Dust up those old passwords
    o With breaches happening every day – change your passwords often, and make them different on
       all sites/apps.
    o Make sure your phone is locked with a PIN, password, or fingerprint.

Pack up your winter albums
    o Backup your contacts and photos to a cloud backup solution.  They’ll still be there if your device
       breaks, is lost, or stolen.

Rake through your privacy settings
    o Remember when you installed that app and thought it was weird that it needed access to your
       camera?  Maybe it’s time to get rid of that.
    o Make sure you aren’t sharing too much information on social networking.
       Check your privacy settings to see exactly how much a stranger can see.

Taking a little time this spring to mop up some loose security items can not only make your device run better, but could mean the difference between a secure device and one that is compromised.  A little effort now can make a big difference in securing your private information.