In today’s world, most smartphones are very safe, and you don’t usually have to worry about your device being infiltrated. However, you might be doing things to set yourself up as a target for hackers.
Though so much of today’s tech is super advanced and comes with its own unique and evolved security features, not everyone is automatically safe from scams and hackers. There are certain things people do during their everyday routines that they might not realize are ‘risky’ and can make them more vulnerable to schemes. Read more about two of them below.
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1. Making Accounts With The Same Login Info
These days, it feels like just about everything makes you create an account so you can log in later, from social media profiles to retail websites. When setting up these accounts, typically using your email or phone number as the username, it can be really easy to use the same password you have down for other profiles. As convenient as that may seem, it's actually a habit that can put you at risk.
"Every time you create an account and log in with the same password, you're creating another opportunity for malicious actors," explains cybersecurity pro Aimee Simpson. "If they manage to breach into one of these sites and find your username and password, the fact that you use it everywhere means they now have unbridled access to all of your devices and accounts."
2. Clicking On Ads & Links
It sometimes can seem nearly impossible to get through a day on your smartphone without interacting with or facing some kind of advertisement, whether it be for an app, clothing, or some other kind of product. Although they'll work really hard to get your attention, it's important to avoid clicking on most ads you see, as some of them could be affiliated with hackers or scammers.
"Another common mistake is treating every ad or link as if it leads to a trustworthy store," notes tech safety pro Scott Edwards. "Some are legitimate, but many ads and links send shoppers to fake or very questionable websites. Those are often built around deals that seem too good to be true, which is a classic red flag. You might place an order and either never receive the product at all or receive something counterfeit. Scammers also work to manipulate search engines so their fake sites show up at the top of search results, knowing many people will click there without looking closely at the web address."
