Scandal rolled out this year with the phone and message hacking that News of the World and many other British publications were executing. Plus the persistent paparazzi here in the US (and the…uhm…indecent photos taken on cell phones that have been released of a number of major female celebrities) make me wonder – how do I know my phone isn’t being hacked?

Well, I’m not a celebrity or any kind of prominent media figure – most of us aren’t – but that doesn’t mean that my phone isn’t possibly hacked, or could be. I mean, come on – Facebook’s personal security is confusing at best, sketchy at worst – and millions of people use the social network on their phones every day.

For those who want to make sure that their phone and all the information that we access on them (these days, at least, for those of us that have smart phones) here are a few tips -

Don’t Be Stupid

Your smartphone is basically a very small computer. Like any other computer (even Macs), your phone is vulnerable to attacks, as well as viruses, and hacking from external sources – if you want evidence, just sit down and watch your favorite crime drama; I’m sure at some point they will talk about tracking phones.

Don’t open emails on your phone where you don’t know the recipient, don’t click on unknown links, don’t think that because your phone does have some built in security measures it means that your phone is iron clad – far from it!

Install Phone Security Software

As a natural extension of the “don’t be stupid” train of thought, there is actually software that you can install on your phone as additional security measures and scans.

If you’re seriously afraid of your phone getting hacked, or are worried about the kind of data you access from your phone – think bank accounts and medical records – then take the measures to actually secure it!

Be Aware of Your Phone’s Normal Operating Procedures

Did you swear that the message that is marked as “read” today was not read yesterday? Are you not getting notifications for your voice mails? Does your battery drain quickly? Does your phone randomly light up or vibrate?

These are all signs that your phone could be controlled or monitored somehow by an outside source – of course, there is also the possibility that you’re just imagining it all and being paranoid.

Megan has found a few different ways to protect her phone, one of them being NetQin. If you’re curious to hear more about what they offer, check it out – Netqin mentioned on Seeking Alpha. She hopes that you will take seriously her advice to secure your phone

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