Our mobile phones have become a vital extension of ourselves, holding so much of our personal information – from photos and contacts, to your tap and payment methods. We place our whole life into our phones with critical personal data that would be devastating if it fell into the wrong hands.

Always have a password on your mobile device

Let’s start with the basics. If your device is not password protected, your personal information is immediately in the hands of anyone who picks up your phone. Without a password there is no line of defence. Ensure that you always have a password set up on your device.

Don’t use easy to guess combinations or words

While simple passwords are easy to remember, they are also the easiest to hack. You can view the top 100 most common passwords here  (Hint: If your password is on this list, change it ASAP).

You also want to avoid passwords that use your personally identifiable information, such as a birthday or phone number. If someone has access to this information, it will be one of the first combinations they will try when attempting to gain access to your phone.

Use a 6-digit passcode

The longer the password, the better! If you prefer the convenience of a digit passcode, you can significantly decrease the hackability of your device by choosing a 6-digit passcode over a 4-digit one.

Choose an alphanumeric password

Even more secure than a numeric passcode is an alphanumeric code. If your device allows it, we recommend using a password with both numbers and letters as this provides the strongest protection against brute-force attacks. To crack an alphanumeric password with 10 characters would take 150 years!

Bonus tip: Don’t use the same password for multiple accounts

If you are unlucky enough that a hacker gets your phone password, they are one step closer to accessing sensitive data on your device, such as access to your online banking. Using different credentials for your password protected accounts will create more roadblocks against hackers when attempting to gain access to your information.

You need to be vigilant, unfortunately cyber crime is a growing cause for concern. However with a few simple tweaks, you can significantly increase the security of your mobile device, helping to keeping your personal data safe from hackers.

Whether you’re a new or an existing customer, Pennytel have mobile plans to suit everyone’s needs. From 1GB or 100GB we’ve got you covered, literally.