Fast Facts:
Phone Use

Virtually everyone has a (smart)phone they can carry with them almost everywhere. You can use smartphones to

• Make phone calls. With apps like WhatsApp you can also make free phone calls to anyone in your contact list as long as you have data access to the Internet.

• Send or receieve text messages, including one-time passwords (OTP) for multi-factor authentication for Internet banking, etc.

• Take and share photos.

• Play music.

• Play games.

• Access email.

• And much more!

• The popularity of use makes smartphones them very attractive for hackers to steal your identity.

• The loss of your phone usually means

  • Loss of valuable digitial assets such as your photos and messages (unless you have backed them up to the cloud). 

  • Being locked out of accounts you have setup with multif-factor authentication - you will need to notify the appropriate institutions/service providers and use alternative login methods. 

  • Misuse for malicious purposes in the hands of criminals.

• Smartphones can be expensive and time consuming to repair or replace.

• Protect your phone physically and digitally:  

  • Use screen protector, case, etc. to keep the phone working in case of accidents like falls, spills, and so on.

  • Set a screen lock password to lock the screen after a few minutes of inactivity. You can use biometric passwords like facial recognition or fingerprints.

• In case you loose your phone, immediately notify your provider so that they can inactivate it. They may also help you to remotely wipe sensitive data from your phone.

Don’t 

• Use your phone while driving for reading email, texting, etc. Avoid making phone calls, even with hands-free mode to prevent distractions.

• Avoid letting someone else use your phone, especially with strangers.