Smartphones and other electronic devices aren’t impenetrable vaults.They are required to be protected from human viruses called hackers.

Smartphones contain a lot more information apart from contacts, pictures etc. Your email account on the phone, for instance, is a gateway to resetting banking and other sensitive passwords.To lock your phone is as important as to keep your door locked in the car. Cyber hygiene is need of the hour and can go long way towards preventing disasters.

Here are the 5 simple steps to keep your phone protected:

1.Use four digit or six digits passcode : The four digit code with letters and other characters helps to further increase the number of possible combinations,though six digit code makes it even harder to decode.One can find options on both iPhones and Android. The iPhone self-destruct features under Touch ID and passcode settings, when turned on, enable users to wipe out 10 failed attempts by hackers . Even Android has similar feature.Similarly biometrics, such as fingerprint scanners prove a strong jacket to your encrypted information .

2.Use Encryption: The ios 8 offers full-disk encryption by default which is untraceable .With Android, however, user has to turn on that in settings .

3.Lost Mode: If your device disappears ,put on the lock mode and automatically the phone is protected by passcode .Other applications like activation locker etc can be easily downloaded from App store or Play store in the Android and iPhone smartphone.

4.Back up your phone: Apps such as Find My iPhone and Android Device Manager keep your data intact provided that suitable  back up is ready in advance.

5.Keep the software updated: Software updates often contain fixes to known flaws which might give hackers a way into your device.On iPhones,Apple prompts you to get the update.It’s more complicated with Android because updates need to go through various phone manufacturers and wireless carriers first. But do install updates when asked.

[source;zeenews]