BETA YOURSELF TECH SECURITY ■ Secure your accounts

Having a phone stolen is bad, but having what’s on it stolen is worse; so Craig Grannell digs into the best ways to lock down data and devices to protect yourself from nefarious types

THE BASICS ■ Use better passwords

Make device passcode locks alphanumeric. Use a password manager and, when setting any new passwords, avoid easily identifiable strings of characters or letters. Never use the same passwords (or parts of passwords) across multiple apps and services. Use random strings for account recovery challenges, not real answers that a third party could figure out.

■ Thwart phishing

You might laugh at terrible phishing emails from ‘Appl Icloud’, but many of these fakes are now getting more sophisticated, directly cloning the visual style of big brands. Be wary of tapping on links asking you to sign in from email – instead, manually log into accounts the usual way and check whether things are OK from there.

■ Test biometrics

You want the barrier that stops others getting at your stuff to be secure but frictionless for you. On that basis, consider biometric unlocking for your devices, using fingerprint or facial scanning. But research the best option for the kit you own: facial scanning remains spotty on some Android devices.

■ Secure sensitive data

In the same way you wouldn’t put your PIN and credit-card number on a sticky note for all to see, make sensitive data on your phone harder to access. Place relevant content behind passwords or biometric locks. Some apps, such as Apple’s Notes, allow you to do this on a per-item basis.

■ Consider a VPN

A virtual private network encrypts your data and hides your IP address. On public Wi-fi, using a VPN will shield your activity… but VPNS aren’t created equally. First research whether a VPN’S creator is trustworthy with your data. And be mindful that VPNS won’t protect you from phishing and other issues.

CHECK PASSWORDS ■ Go online

Enter your email address or mobile number at haveibeenpwned.com and you’ll see whether it’s been in a data breach. If so, changing related passwords would be a very good idea.

■ Perform a local audit

Android and IOS can also help. Their respective Settings apps include password checkups with security recommendations. These flag compromised and weak passwords, and those you’ve reused across multiple accounts. Change them all as soon as you can.

MONITOR DEVICES ■ Track your kit

Set up Find My on an Apple device (under your Apple ID) to track your devices in the Find My app or on icloud.com. On Android? Find My Device does much the same, and has its own online counterpart: google.com/android/find

■ Find a lost device

Select a lost device in the apps mentioned above and you can have it play a noise. If it turns out it’s not nearby/down the back of the sofa, secure the device and have it display a lock-screen message – or use remote wipe if you know retrieval isn’t possible.

DOUBLE UP WITH 2FA ■ Protect apps

Many apps and services offer two-factor authentication, which asks you to enter a one-time code rather than just a password. Activate this whenever possible and use an authenticator app to provide you with 2FA codes.

■ Don’t use SMS

If possible, avoid using SMS messages for 2FA. It’s possible for hackers to redirect mobile numbers using a SIM swap, so they wouldn’t need your phone to get at codes.

Beyond individual apps, Apple and Google offer two-factor account authentication (Google calls this 2-Step Verification). It’s worth setting this up to make it harder for a third party to brute-force their way into your icloud or Google account.

DON’T BE PERMISSIVE ■ Peruse and prune

Browse the categories in the privacy section of your device’s Settings app. If any apps have access to things they shouldn’t have, revoke it. Always err on the side of caution when allowing access to personal data.

■ Bash the dash

In your Android’s Settings, tap ‘Privacy dashboard’ and you’ll see recent permissions. By default, the pane focuses on location, camera and mic, but you can expand that to see what else has been recently used – handy for trying out new apps.