Safety on Devices

In the year of 2013, mobile devices, tablets, and laptops have become mans best friend. In the United States, more than half of the population owns a smart phone, tablet, or laptop. Many sources even state that the Americans that own these devices actually own two or more of these products. With wi-fi and Internet at our fingertips almost anywhere we go, these devices make it very easy for individuals and businesses to stay connected. Many businesses are now beginning to exhibit BYOD policies, which means employees may and should Bring Your Own Device to work, simply because employees purchase these products for household needs and their own entertainment anyways. Although these devices are very convenient in our day and age, because they are so accessible, they cause risks for individuals and businesses regarding information safety and security.

Password

Passwords are a fundamental application that many mobile devices contain allowing consumers to lock others out of their device and away from their personal information. Passwords are important when keeping your information on a mobile device safe and secure but many consumers do not feel it is necessary to use a password to access their phone because they either simply do not care or they believe it to be a tedious task submitting a password every time they want to open their phone. As devices begin to get more advanced, gaining access to these instruments can only be done by using an authorized finger print or a set of numbers, letters, or patterns. Consumers’ information is easily accessible when phones are lost or stolen when a password is not established so it is important to create a password that others cannot easily guess.

Malware

Malware is software that is very dangerous to devices. Malware intentionally causes damage and havoc to devices that host them and it is installed without the owner knowing so. Malware can be disguised as a secure application for a device but truly it is harmful to the device and the consumers’ vital information saved on the device.

Updates

For most consumers it is important to stay up to date with both their device and the programs and applications they may choose to run on the device. These programs and applications often times need to be updated by the consumer because programmers are constantly upgrading their software, fixing glitches, and changing the format of the applications. Updating applications every so often becomes a tedious task. For those consumers that do not care so much for these updates,