A Guide to Mobile Security
A Growing Problem
As the technology surrounding us advances, we are becoming increasingly dependable on mobile devices such as smartphones or tablets. However, as mobile devices have become more popular, they also started to collect additional private information about their users. As they hold large quantities of personal data and are quite vulnerable without protection, they are often targeted by malicious cybercriminals or government surveillance agencies. A smart solution to boost mobile security and privacy is with a VPN. A reliable VPN will not only be able to access content, but also encrypt any mobile device online activity. Read on and learn all you need to know about mobile security and how to achieve it.
How Do Hackers Undermine Mobile Security?
No one is immune to hacker attacks without proper security measures. In fact, hackers and the government surveillance agencies use a variety of different approaches to extract important personal information from your mobile devices which can cause severe damage to your private life, work or bank account. Here are some examples of hacking techniques that can potentially harm your mobile devices:
Malware
Malware can infiltrate your mobile device system if you download and install infected apps from the app store, such as Google Play store or Apple App store. Once infected, malware can cause significant damage to your mobile device. For example, you may experience loss of data, data corruption or unavailability of important data due to the virus. Above all, hackers implement malware to sell your data to the third parties.
Denial of Service Attacks
Hackers attempt to shut down your mobile network either by flooding the target with traffic or sending information that triggers a crash of the system. As a result, you may not be able to access certain websites on the Internet from your mobile device or in the worst case, you may not be able to access the Internet at all.
Mobile Phishing
Phishing is another malicious cybercrime by hackers to lure you to reveal important personal information such as banking details, credit card details or passwords. Often hackers try to contact you by email, SMS or telephone and retrieve data from your mobile device
Open and Public WiFi Network
WiFi networks that require no passwords or that are open to the public often vulnerable to hacking attacks. As many people use public WiFi network to access the Internet from their mobile devices, hackers use this opportunity to manipulate useful personal information through WiFi.
5 Tips for Ensuring Your Mobile Security
Here, we provide you with top 5 tips to ensure your mobile security against possible malicious attacks and data breaches:
Create Strong PINs and Passwords
You need to set a strong password or Personal Identification Number (PIN) to avoid third parties from accessing your mobile device. Setting PINs for the home screen as well as different passwords for various accounts is highly recommended.
Only Install Reliable Apps
Avoid downloading an app without conducting research to make sure the app is properly authorized and licensed. This includes reading reviews, checking the validity of its license and the website of the publisher. Installing an unauthorized app is the fastest way to get your mobile device infected by mobile viruses such as malware.
Be Extra Careful When Using Open or Public WiFi Networks
Launching a virus on a WiFi network that is open to the public is one of the most popular hacking methods implemented by cybercriminals. Accessing such vulnerable networks on a regular basis can reveal your personal information. You should consider limiting the use of public WiFi if your mobile device is not protected.
Read App Permissions Before Accepting Them
In many cases, people are lazy and reluctant to read through app permissions, giving them a legitimate reason for performing malicious attacks on your mobile device. Read the app permissions thoroughly if you are willing to allow them to access your personal information.
Install a VPN
A VPN allows you to hide your IP address which can include important information such as when and where you are accessing the Internet from your mobile device. Furthermore, all connections to the Internet will be encrypted, meaning no third parties such as hackers or government agency can exploit your personal information on your mobile device.
What Is a VPN?
A VPN is a simple and reliable tool that hides your IP address and access censored content on the Internet. An IP address is similar to a postal address in that it identifies your computer or mobile devices and represents your online virtual location. Although an IP address is necessary for any online activities, it can also be a restriction as it reveals who is trying to access the content and even where and when you are accessing it. Furthermore, without a VPN, your IP address will easily be revealed to hackers who may use this to shut down your mobile device or exploit your personal information.
However, with a VPN, you don't need to worry anymore. At ZenMate VPN, we offer different servers located in various countries worldwide and are able to re-route your traffic to hide your original IP address and exchange it with one from another server. Moreover, a VPN encrypts all of your traffic to ensure your mobile security and anonymity. Nobody, including hackers or the government agencies, can find out who you are, where and when you are accessing specific websites online.
Download a VPN to Access Any Censored Content
Here are some examples where a VPN can be used to access various censored content on different platforms.
Social Media: Social media platforms such as Facebook or Twitter can also be censored by the government. Whatever the reason may be, you can access any censored content on social media by simply downloading a VPN to your devices.
YouTube: YouTube may be blocked for a variety of reasons - jobs and school block YouTube to increase productivity. Countries such as China strictly bans certain videos that they regard too sexual or politically inflammatory.
Games: Often at work, school or libraries, access to online games are prohibited. Conventional methods for circumventing restrictions on games such as hacking the Internet administrator are often inefficient and extremely difficult. However, with ZenMate VPN downloaded, you can play your favorite games no matter where you are.
Gmail: Some countries ban Gmail as it makes it difficult for government surveillance and censorship. Gmail is a very secure email service provider and gives an access to other useful Google tools such as Google Drive and Calendar. Inability to log-in to Gmail will result in a decrease in productivity and harm business performance. With a VPN, however, you can access Gmail anytime.
Why Download ZenMate VPN?
ZenMate is a trusted VPN with over 42 million users worldwide. We have servers based in over 77 locations, meaning you can choose from a wide variety of countries when changing the location from which you would like to access the web and at the same time hide your IP address.
As a German company, we are bound by strict data privacy laws which ban us from selling your information. We are committed to offering a secure and private Internet with the best German encryption technology so that nobody including the ISPs and governments to track your online activity.
Lastly, ZenMate VPN is available on all major mobile platforms including Android and iOS, as well as all major browsers, such as Chrome and Firefox. Furthermore, you can use ZenMate VPN on an unlimited number of devices to ensure your security and privacy.
3 Simple Steps for Downloading ZenMate VPN
At ZenMate, we made the download process super easy and user-friendly. Download ZenMate today and access censored content right away.
1. Download ZenMate's browser extension, desktop client or mobile app by clicking on PRODUCTS.
2. Create your ZenMate account following the instructions.
3. Choose a server location you would like to connect to and click the big round button - your data is now completely encrypted.
Free vs. Paid VPNs
When selecting a VPN service, there are many providers and proxy websites that offer to access websites for free. However, a VPN infrastructure costs money, meaning if a VPN provider or proxy site isn’t charging their users, you must ask yourself where they are getting their money from. Many free VPN providers make money by storing and selling their users’ data or by selling their bandwidth, like the popular free proxy server Hola was caught doing in 2015. Before choosing a specific VPN service, it's important to know its Free vs. Paid VPN benefits.
There have been a huge number of scandals surrounding the dodgy activity of free VPN and proxy providers, proving that free VPNs tend to undermine your online privacy and security, rather than protect it. If you still need to use a VPN for free, your best bet is to go with a paid VPN service provider who offers a free version of their product. Overall, however, if you are looking for privacy, security, top speeds and best locations it is best to go with a paid VPN service.
