Given how smartphones are increasingly being used for activities such as online banking, shopping and what not, the fact that most of us tend to misplace, or worse lose, our smartphones once in a while really does put us in a tight spot as far as the security of confidential information such as credit card numbers, pin codes and passwords is concerned. Even though you might have a couple of passwords and locks in place that you might think sufficient to protect your data, it is not difficult for a tech geek to bypass them within a matter of just a few minutes to obtain the information which can cost you a lot more than just a little inconvenience. Even the numerous layers of security that are a part of credit card apps can at times be insufficient for protecting your information. Given the problem at hand, we bring to you five tips that can help you protect your credit card information in order to avoid suffering financially at the hands of nasty hackers.
Putting passwords in place
While it may be annoying to punch in your password every time you want to use your phone, there is no denying the fact that the act of enabling password protection is indeed the very first step towards tightening the security of your credit card information. Besides, punching in a password may seem a lot more convenient than having to cancel your credit card in the wake of a fraudulent information leak resulting from misuse. However, when securing your device with a password, make sure that it includes both letters and numbers and is not as easy a guess as “12345”.
Using mobile payment apps requiring photo identification
With the advent of apps like the Square Card Case, it has become possible for users to have the person at the sales counter verify the fact that the one making the payment is the real owner after viewing their photograph. While this security measure greatly relies upon the person making the verification, it is also only effective for point-of-sales purchases and does not support online payments as it requires the user to be present in person. Also, users should use an up-to-date photograph when using such apps in order to avoid any last minute problems at the payment counter.
Locating lost devices using GPS tracking
Misuse of credit card information extracted from a lost or stolen device is common practice in the world today. Therefore, recovering a lost device for the sake of protecting a lot more than just the gadget itself becomes a top priority. A variety of apps are available for the purpose of locating stolen devices using GPS technology; Find My Phone being one of them. Such apps can help you locate a phone in no time using as simple as a text message or an online dashboard. However,
Performing a data-wipe
If your smartphone goes missing for a period long enough to get you worried, it is essential that you do something in order to secure the data present on its storage so that it cannot be misused by an unauthorized user. In such circumstances, what can be a better option than to wipe off all the data from your device including all your credit card details and what not. The best part is that there are apps which allow you to create a backup of the data and restore it once you have found your lost phone.
Not storing credit card information to begin with
Even though it is becoming increasingly tempting to use your credit cards for online transactions, the safest bet for protecting your data from falling into the wrong hands is by not putting it in jeopardy in the first place. Therefore if you do not trust yourself for being on your phone’s guard 24/7, it is advised to not have it carry any kind of such confidential information which will put you at risk if your phone is lost or stolen.
