Internet of Things has raised concerns over safety. Nowadays, it is possible to control your home using your Smartphone. In the coming years, mobile devices will work as a remote control to operate all the things in your house.
Some devices display one or several vulnerabilities that can be exploited by the hackers to infiltrate them and the whole network of the connected home. For instance:
1. During configuration, data – including the device ID and MAC address - is sometimes transmitted in plain text.
2. The communication between the device and the app passes unencrypted through the manufacturer’s servers.
3. The hotspot is poorly secured with a weak username and password and sometimes remains active after configuration.
4. The device comes pre-installed with a Telnet client carrying default credentials.
With rising cases of identity theft and vishing, it has become absolutely necessary to install any of these 5 free tools in your smartphone in order to keep your data safe from hackers.
1- LastPass - It lets you store passwords in a secure vault that is easy to use, searchable and organized the way you like. It is perhaps the safest vault available online today that lets you store password data for unlimited websites.
2- Lookout - This tool offers security for the today's mobile generation. It is a free app that protects your iOS or Android device around the clock from mobile threats such as unsecure WiFi networks, malicious apps, fraudulent links, etc. It has a worldwide network of 100 million mobile sensors, world's largest mobile data set and a smarter machine intelligence to keep your smartphone secure from all kinds of threats.
3- Authy - This app generates secure 2 step verification tokens on your device and protects your account from hackers and hijackers by adding an additional layer of security. Moreover, it offers secure cloud backup, multi device synchronization and multi factor authentication. 2 step authentication is the best kind of security available today that ensures your accounts don't get hacked.
4- BullGuard - It protects your smartphone from all forms of viruses and malware. With an inbuilt, rigorous anti-theft functionality, BullGuard enables you to lock, locate and wipe device remotely in case it gets lost or stolen. It allows automatic scans so that the security remains updated. Moreover, it doesn't drains down your battery.
5- Prey - It is a lightweight theft protection software that lets you keep an eye over your mobile devices in case you have more than one and you are leaving one in your home. Prey lets you recover the phone in case it gets stolen. After installing the software on your laptop, tablet or phone, Prey will sleep silently in the background awaiting your command. Once remotely triggered from your Prey account, your device will gather and deliver detailed evidence back to you, including a picture of who's using it – often the crucial piece of data that police officers need to take action.
