Using a smart phone is quickly becoming one of the most important tools in our everyday life. We use them for texting, checking our e-mails, playing games, banking and yes, they actually do work as a regular phone as well. The big question that many people have is if your phone is a safe way to go. Lets look at some of the pros and cons.
Using your smart phone as a tool for banking can be extremely convenient and time saving. You can access your account from almost anywhere and transfer funds, pay bills and some banks have apps that let you snap a picture of your check and then simply hit a button and your deposit is made. Wow that was easy! For the most part, using your phone is safe and secure. The amount of security in your phones browser is very high. It is every bit as high as your browser in your computer. Just like on your main computer, you always want to be sure you are using an HTTPS version of the banking website. When you look at the banks address, just be sure you have an HTTPS in front of the URL.
Another great way to use your phone as a banking tool is to check and see if your bank has an app that you can download. The apps are actually a bit more secure then the native website but they may be confusing to use or not as functional as the native website. Some of the larger institutions might have apps that are very useful and functional.
Unlike a Wi-Fi hotspot, your smart phone is completely safe from eavesdroppers. Hotspots can have a boatload of security risks but using your smart phone on the go is perfectly safe. Your data and your voice conversations are very difficult to pick up on a scanner or other device. All scanners are now built with the frequencies used foe cell phone conversations blocked. In the old days with the older cordless phones, it was very easy far an eavesdropper to listen to your entire conversation with ease. That is not the case today.
I get a lot of questions asking whether apps for your phone are getting more dangerous. In short the answer is yes but the threat is very small. Phone manufacturers check out most apps quite carefully before they are posted for download. With all the apps being added daily, it is always possible for a bad apple to slip through the cracks. It is fortunately not a very common occurrence.
To maintain security, always install apps from only companies that you know and trust. This is the best way to be sure you are getting the real deal. In addition, do not install every app that you see because some apps can adversely affect your phones performance if it is using too many resources. Only download what you need. In addition, you may want to manually shut down apps that are running in the background as they can use your battery juice quite fast.
As you can see, your smart phone can really be your friend and make life a lot easier. Take the same precautions you take on your home phone and you should be fine. Enjoy those apps, just do not load more then you need.
Author: Joe Zelenak, Staff Writer
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