The following are some general safety tips to protect your mobile device:
- When purchasing a smartphone or tablet, know the features of the device, including the default settings. Turn off features you don’t need to minimize the device’s security vulnerabilities.
- Look at the reviews of the developer or company that publishes a mobile app before purchasing.
- Review and understand the permissions you are giving when you download apps.
- Be aware of applications that enable geo-location. The application will track the user's location, and not all businesses store that data securely or use it purely for ethical purposes.
- ‘Jailbreak’ or ‘rooting’ is used to remove certain restrictions imposed by the device manufacturer or cell phone carrier. This allows the user nearly unregulated control over what programs can be installed and how the device can be used. However, this procedure often involves exploiting significant security vulnerabilities and decreases the overall security of the device.
- Do not allow your device to connect to unknown wireless networks. These networks could be rogue access points that capture information passed between your device and a legitimate server.
- If you decide to trade the device in or sell it to anyone, make sure you wipe the device (reset it to factory default) to avoid leaving personal data on it.
- Mobile devices and applications need to be updated regularly so that they work as intended and newly discovered security vulnerabilities are patched. If you neglect these updates, it increases the risk of having your device hacked or compromised.
- Use the same precautions on your mobile device as you would on your computer when using the Internet. Avoid clicking on or otherwise downloading software or links from unknown sources.
Lost device recovery and remote data wipe
If you have lost your device (smart phone, laptop, etc), and it is configured to receive email and calendar updates from your Saint Mary's accounts (same as your desktop services at work), contact EIT immediately for assistance. We may be able to remotely locate, recover or wipe a smart device depending on whether it supports that function. However, this will only work while the battery of the device is still charged. After a period of time, the device will power off and will no longer be reachable remotely.