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Top Five Things You Should Do To Protect Your SmartPhone

by Gary S. Miliefsky, CISSP®, President www.snoopwall.com

While I could suggest you rootkit your device, install IP
Tables and Tripwire for your Android smartphone, you
might be running an iPhone, a Blackberry or a Windows
Smartphone. So, I’ve come up with a list of what I think
are best practices for increasing privacy and security on
your device without spending any money. This is based
on my counterveillance research for improving your
privacy from eavesdroppers and helping you from
getting infected with spyware that could cost you your
identity.

They are, in order of importance:

1) Disable your GPS at all time except in an emergency or when you need to use your smartphone
for navigation purposes;
2) Disable your NFC (Near Field Communications) permanently;
3) Disable Bluetooth at all times except when you are in your car, driving, if you want to have
hands-free calls, if supported by your car;
4) Verify Apps behavior and privacy risk BEFORE installing – do some research and ask the
questions “why does this app need GPS, MICROPHONE, WEBCAM, CONTACTS, etc.?” – most
apps don’t need these ports unless they want to invade your privacy. Find an alternative before
installing risky Apps;
5) Either put masking tape over your webcam and microphone when not in use or pull the battery
out of your smartphone when you are not using it.

Obviously for #1, there’s no need for geolocating you, unless you don’t mind being spied upon by
malicious apps – or worse – your children’s location being monitored by online predators. Best to keep
this hardware port disabled until you really need it.

For #2, you’re probably wondering “what the heck is NFC and why should I care?”. We’ll it’s a new
protocol for ‘bumping’ or getting close to other devices, within 3 meters or so, to exchange information
such as photos and contacts. Is it secure? No. Can it be hacked just like Bluetooth? Yes. Go into your
device settings, find NFC, if you see it, disable it.

Ok, for #3, you’re thinking ‘that makes sense’ – Bluetooth is an easily hacked protocol and folks can
eavesdrop on communications over Bluetooth; broadcast into your earpiece (yes, it’s been done); access
your contacts list and hack your smartphone device over Bluetooth. So, if you disable this protocol
everywhere except when you are in the car, wanting a hands free experience for making and receiving
calls, you should be much more secure.

For #4, how many times do you install an app with excitement about promised features and functions,
only to find that it requires incredible privacy risk? If it’s too good to be true it probably is and nothing
in this world is free. There are 9 major advertisement networks and some deploy spyware. Free apps

33 Cyber Warnings E-Magazine – August 2013 Edition
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