Level 1 · 1D Your phone and your computer · Lesson 1 of 2
Update, lock and choose your apps wisely
Your phone and your computer hold more of your life than your home does. Keeping them safe comes down to three habits: keep them updated, lock them, and be careful about what you install.
Update
Every update fixes security flaws that are already known, and attackers look for exactly the devices that haven't been updated. Turn on automatic updates for your system and your apps: it's one of the cheapest and most effective defenses there is.
Lock
Set a screen lock with a PIN of six digits or more, or with your fingerprint. Modern phones encrypt what's on them while they're locked. Without a lock, anyone who finds your phone can see your email, your photos and your bank.
Apps and permissions
Install apps only from the official app stores. And check which permissions they ask for: a flashlight doesn't need your contacts or your location. If a permission makes no sense, deny it or don't install the app. Review your app permissions every now and then.
Going deeper
Why an extra permission is an open door
Each app runs isolated from the others, in a kind of cage, and it can only get out with the permissions you give it. That's why your system asks you. An app with more permissions than it needs can read things it shouldn't and, if it's malicious or gets hacked, use them against you.
Review questions
Why should you update your phone as soon as a new version comes out?
Answer: Because it fixes security flaws that are already known. Attackers take advantage of flaws that have already been made public. Updating closes them.
A flashlight app asks for access to your contacts and your location. What do you do?
Answer: You deny those permissions or don't install it. A flashlight doesn't need any of that. A permission that makes no sense is a red flag.
Where should you download apps from?
Answer: From the official app stores. Official stores review apps before publishing them. «Free» copies of paid apps often come with viruses.