Cellular Safety
Shopping for a pre-owned cellphone doesn’t should imply compromising your safety – take these steps to get pleasure from the advantages of cutting-edge expertise at a fraction of the fee
09 Dec 2024
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5 min. learn
The fashionable smartphone has grow to be an indispensable piece of expertise. These highly effective, pocket-sized computer systems allow us to do every little thing from hailing cabs to consulting with our native physician. However prices will be prohibitive. Unsurprisingly, second-hand and refurbished units have grow to be an more and more widespread choice, offering entry to premium expertise at a fraction of the worth and interesting to budget-conscious shoppers or these looking for sustainability.
Smartphones are additionally typically among the many most desired presents in the course of the vacation season. The most recent fashions could also be out of attain for a lot of resulting from their excessive value, so second-hand telephones current a extra reasonably priced choice for gift-givers.
Additionally, any individuals improve their smartphones in the course of the vacation season, both as presents to themselves or as a result of they’ve obtained a brand new cellphone as a gift. This creates a secondary marketplace for pre-owned units as they promote or commerce of their outdated fashions.
The important thing drawback is just not understanding what situation these units will arrive in. To keep away from unwittingly exposing your self to cyber-risk, take day trip to think about the next ideas.
What are the dangers of pre-owned telephones?
Due to persistently excessive rates of interest and inflation throughout a lot of the Western world, second-hand telephones are more and more commonplace. Actually, gross sales generated over $13bn globally within the first quarter of 2023 alone, up 14% yearly, in accordance with one estimate. In a mature market just like the UK, 1 / 4 of all telephones offered in 2023 have been reportedly second-hand or refurbished.
But this comes with sure cybersecurity dangers. These embrace:
Outdated software program
Some units might not be supported by the producer, that means the underlying working system doesn’t obtain software program updates. That’s unhealthy information from a safety perspective, because it signifies that when vulnerabilities are discovered by researchers or risk actors, your gadget received’t get a safety patch to repair it. It would successfully be uncovered to attackers. One 2020 examine within the UK discovered that almost a 3rd of fashions being resold have been not supported with safety updates.
Malware
In some circumstances, a earlier proprietor might even have (unwittingly or not) put in malicious software program on the cellphone. This can be designed to do quite a lot of issues, from steal your private data and passwords to snoop in your calls and messages. It might even flood the gadget with undesirable adverts or subscribe you to premium-rate companies. The top aim is normally to earn cash ultimately off you, both by stealing private and monetary data to be used in fraud or digital extortion.
No refurbishment checks
Some pre-owned telephones might not have undergone the sort of checks that respected second-hand sellers carry out to make sure they’re operational and working on a supported OS. This will expose you to among the dangers outlined above.
How one can keep away from cyber dangers on second-hand units
Mitigating these dangers takes a multi-pronged strategy, beginning with due diligence in the course of the shopping for course of. That successfully means doing all your analysis. Second-hand units can be found from all kinds of sources, from producers themselves to high-street retailers, telcos, and personal sellers. Put the time in to verify the vendor has good evaluations and their provide is professional. A guaranty of no less than a 12 months ought to be a baseline requirement to make sure high quality.
It is also greatest to keep away from jailbroken or rooted units, as these might have had security measures disabled which make them extra uncovered to threats.
Additionally, solely select units which are nonetheless supported by the producer; normally, phone-makers will help a handset for no less than 2-3 years after it’s launched.
To additional mitigate safety dangers, contemplate the next after buy:
- do a full manufacturing unit reset, wiping any knowledge which will have been left on the gadget by the earlier proprietor, together with contacts, pictures, messages, shopping historical past, passwords and apps,
- replace all of the software program on the gadget after buying to the most recent, most safe model, and swap on automated updates,
- preserve an eye fixed out for tell-tale indicators that it is perhaps compromised with malware, equivalent to undesirable pop-ups or adverts, apps showing that you simply didn’t obtain, or sluggish efficiency and unusually excessive battery utilization,
- set up safety software program from a good supplier and have it scan the gadget for threats.
As soon as your gadget is up and working, contemplate the next greatest practices to mitigate ongoing safety dangers:
- arrange a display lock and PIN, password, or biometric authentication (face recognition/fingerprint scan) for safe entry
- backup your knowledge and set to automated backups to the cloud in case the gadget is misplaced or stolen
- delete any unused apps to reduce your assault floor
- swap on gadget encryption for an additional layer of safety
- at all times use multi-factor authentication to entry your gadget and any software program/accounts on it
- flip Bluetooth, tethering or Wi-Fi off when not in use, to keep away from eavesdroppers snooping round
- verify your app permissions – if some apps are requesting entry to greater than is critical, that ought to be a pink flag
- solely obtain apps from official app shops and from respected builders
- be looking out for phishing messages and emails. If doubtful, by no means click on on hyperlinks or open attachments contained in these messages. At all times contact the supposed sender individually first, or open the message on a safer machine
- keep away from utilizing public Wi-Fi and not using a VPN.
In the event you’re nonetheless involved about your pre-owned cellphone exposing you to safety dangers, don’t entry any delicate data or accounts when utilizing it – equivalent to cellular banking or syncing together with your company accounts. Actually, in case your employer permits BYOD handsets within the office, there could also be an extra algorithm and insurance policies it’s essential comply with to make sure that your second-hand gadget can be utilized. The dangers outlined above may very well be amplified if risk actors handle to make use of your handset as a stepping stone to succeed in company knowledge and methods.
That stated, there’s no purpose why a pre-owned cellphone ought to trigger undue stress and safety danger, so long as you comply with these greatest practices. And in case you resolve at hand it on to another person, bear in mind to carry out a full backup, knowledge erasure and manufacturing unit reset.
