Tag: mobile phones

Expert reveals how you can protect your mobile device from malware 

During the first few months of 2022, mobile malware attacks increased by 500%, with one of the main reasons being because many people aren’t protecting their smartphones. 

Experts at IT support specialists CloudTech24 have revealed the best ways you can go about protecting your mobile device from malware effectively. 

  1. Use mobile anti-malware 

Your mobile phone needs anti-virus and anti-malware software too! Malware can infect smartphones and tablets easily so it’s important to have a reliable anti-malware app installed to your device. 

  1. Don’t download apps from unknown sources 

Only download mobile apps from trusted sources. Do not download outside a main app store. Trusted app stores include places like: 

  • Apple App Store 
  • Google Play 
  • The Microsoft Store 
  • Amazon Appstore 

You also should research the app developer online. Make sure they have a good reputation. Once you download a dangerous app to your phone, it can infect it with malware. That malware can remain behind even if you delete the app later. 

  1. Be wary of SMS phishing, AKA “smishing” 

Spam texts are extremely common nowadays, with the text equivalent of phishing being known as “smishing”. 

Through malicious links in text messages, hackers may ask you to message back to capture personal information, and/or try to gain access to your device. 

Beware of text messages from unknown sources and be on the lookout for texts that don’t make sense. A common text spam is getting a shipping notification when you haven’t ordered anything. 

  1. Remove old apps you don’t use 

Apps these days are often abandoned by the developer, and there are around 2.6 million apps that haven’t received an update in a year or more. Having these old apps on your phone can leave security vulnerabilities which can be exploited by hackers, so it’s important to address them. 

Look through your device for any older apps you aren’t using, and if there’s no reason to keep them around, they can leave your device at risk.  

Also, look at the time of the last update, and if it’s over a year, consider replacing it with an app that’s more current and updated more frequently.

  1. Keep your device updated 

In addition to keeping your apps updated, it’s important to keep your device updated too. Not updating to the latest version of your device’s operating system can also leave your phone with security vulnerabilities, allowing hackers to breach your data. Turn on automatic updates if possible!

Mobile customers stuck in Catch-22 between mid-contract price hikes and exit fees of over £400, Which? warns

Which? is calling on telecoms firms to act on mid-contract price rises, as new research shows millions of mobile customers are trapped in a Catch-22 where they either have to accept exorbitant mid-contract price increases or pay exit fees of over £400 to end their contract. 

The Big Four mobile firms – EE, O2, Three and Vodafone – raise prices every April in line with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) or Retail Price Index (RPI) plus an additional 3.9 per cent.

EE, Three and Vodafone use CPI – leading to price increases of over 14 per cent in 2023 – while O2 uses the higher RPI measure, meaning some customers will face hikes of more than 17 per cent this year.

As these price rises are often applied mid-contract, people either have to accept these hard to justify increases or pay costly exit fees to leave their contract early. Shockingly, these inflationary price hikes also mean some providers will arguably overcharge customers for handsets that are part of bundled contracts.

The consumer champion has calculated how much an average EE, O2, Three and Vodafone customer affected by the latest price increases could see their payments rise in 2023 for both SIM-only and bundled contracts.

These price hikes are highest for bundled contracts – where the customer pays monthly for both the handset and airtime. Based on figures from Which?’s latest mobile survey, the average EE customer would see an annual increase of £66.36 while the typical Three customer would see a hike of £56.40 to their bundled contract due to mid-contract price rises.

The same EE customer would face eye-watering exit fees of £424.67 to leave a year early and Three’s customer would need to fork out £379.46 to leave their contract.

For EE and Three bundled customers – plus legacy Vodafone customers – these price hikes are applied to the whole bundled deal. As these bundled contracts are not broken into handset and airtime costs, Which? used an equivalent SIM-only plan to to estimate how much bundled customers will pay for their handset due to these inflationary price rises.

Using the example of an EE customer who took out a 36-month contract for an iPhone Pro Max with unlimited data, Which? estimates the customer would pay an additional £105 for the handset over the next year. A Three customer with the same contract would pay an estimated £86 extra for the handset over the next year. Prices for both providers will rise again the next year, meaning that customers will pay even more just for their handset.

For O2 and most Vodafone contracts, only the airtime part of a contract is subject to inflation – so the level of mid-contract price hikes and exit fees will vary according to the individual contract.

Which? has also analysed pricing data to calculate how much an average SIM-only customer with EE, O2, Three and Vodafone affected by the latest price increases could see their payments rise in 2023.

The average EE customer would see the biggest potential annual increase of £46.20. This is closely followed by O2 and Vodafone customers who would see annual price hikes of £42.72 and £42.36 respectively. The average customer with Three would see the lowest annual increase of £25.20.

EE SIM-only customers would face the highest exit fees of £295.36 if they wanted to leave a year early. This is closely followed by Vodafone and O2 customers who face exit fees of £287.88 and £237.08. Three customers face the lowest exit fees of £169.59 for leaving their contract a year early.

With Ofcom currently investigating mid-contract price hikes and their fairness for consumers, telecoms firms are facing a reckoning on these practices.

Which? is calling on all providers to do the right thing and reconsider any price rises they impose. Providers should allow customers to leave their contract without penalty if prices are hiked mid-contract – regardless of whether or not these increases can be said to be ‘transparent’ – and cancel 2023 inflationary hikes for financially vulnerable consumers.

Currently, Sky Mobile does not use inflationary mid-contract rises – and where prices rise, customers can leave penalty-free. Tesco Mobile used to operate on this model but has now introduced inflationary price hikes for some customers in 2023.

On smaller networks – like Giffgaff, VOXI or Smarty – these types of typical inflation-based rises will not apply, and customers are able to switch without penalty.

Rocio Concha, Which? Director of Policy and Advocacy, said: “It’s hugely concerning that many mobile customers could find themselves trapped in a Catch-22 situation where they either have to accept exorbitant – and difficult to justify – mid-contract price hikes this Spring or pay costly exit fees to leave their contract early and find a better deal.

“With many households struggling to make ends meet, it is completely unfair that people are trapped in this situation. Which? is calling on providers to act quickly and reconsider any price rises. Firms should cancel 2023 hikes for financially vulnerable consumers and allow all customers to leave without penalty if they face mid-contract price rises.”

Biggest mobile providers outshone by smaller rivals, Which? reveals

The UK’s biggest mobile providers have fallen short on value for money and are being outperformed by smaller rivals who piggyback on their networks, according to Which?’s annual customer satisfaction survey.  

During the pandemic, more people than ever have turned to their phones and technology as a way to keep in touch with family and friends.

The Big Four mobile providers – O2, EE, Vodafone and Three – serve nearly nine in 10 UK customers.

However, in Which?’s annual customer satisfaction survey, smaller providers that use the Big Four’s networks managed to outdo them across the board – including on value for money, customer service and network reliability.

O2 scored the highest of the Big Four providers and earned joint fifth place out of 15 providers, alongside Utility Warehouse.

It received a high rating for ease of contact, but its customers considered it below average for value for money. Only a quarter (23%) rated it as being ‘excellent’ in this area.

However, GiffGaff, Tesco Mobile and Sky Mobile, which all piggyback on O2’s network, triumphed over their larger rival in Which? rankings. GiffGaff came in first place and earned strong ratings in several categories with 91 per cent of customers saying they’d recommend it to a friend.

Tesco Mobile came in joint second place with Sky Mobile and SMARTY. Both Sky Mobile and Tesco Mobile scored higher than O2 on value for money – an area all of the Big Four providers fell short on in our survey.

EE and Vodafone came in the bottom half of the rankings. Both EE and Vodafone performed poorly on value for money. This is perhaps unsurprising given that 7 per cent of their customers received incorrect or unexpectedly high bills – the highest across all the providers.

Three earned the lowest score of the Big Four providers. Value for money and network reliability were key weak points for Three.

Three customers were the most likely to experience network outages lasting more than one whole day (8%) and one in ten (10%) experienced unexpected or unreasonable price hikes.

One Three customer responding to Which?’s survey said that a universal change in tariff had made it more expensive for them to use the provider despite having a substantial balance to use up.

Like O2, Three was beaten by a smaller operator using its network. SMARTY is owned by Three and is a new entrant to Which?’s survey at joint second place.

The highest-scoring mobile providers are eligible for Which? Recommended Provider (WRP) status, which also requires providers to offer reasonably priced contract deals, including Sim-only.

Ofcom now requires all providers to notify customers when their telecoms contracts come to an end. Which? encourages consumers to compare the deals available when their contract comes to end – even if they’re planning to stay with their current provider – to ensure they aren’t overpaying.

Rocio Concha, Director of Policy and Advocacy at Which?, said: “Our research found that the biggest mobile providers are being outshone by their smaller rivals. A provider should not only give you good network reliability but also value for money and customer support when you need it.

“If customers are out of contract but happy with the service they’re receiving, they should try negotiating a new deal but if all else fails it might be time to switch.”

Read more about Which?’s mobile switching service: 

https://mobilephones.which.co.uk/

Five ways to keep your personal data safe from hackers this Cyber Monday

New research reveals that nearly half (49%) of UK adults have not installed or didn’t know whether their mobile phone has security software. So keeping personal data safe from hackers has never been more important. 

In the wrong hands, stolen data can be used by hackers for illegal activity such as applying for loans or credit cards under a victim’s name, or bank accounts being accessed and money withdrawn.  

To help keep data safe, leading insurance provider, Insurance2go, shares five ways mobile phone users can help to protect personal data stored on their device.

  1. Be cautious of public Wi-Fi 

Using public Wi-Fi is great for those who have a low data allowance, or are running out of mobile data. However, public networks often don’t provide a secure connection, making it easy for hackers to use them to access personal data.  

Hackers targeting public Wi-Fi hotspots are able to use what is known as a ‘man-in-the-middle’ attack, which is when a hacker intercepts financial information, passwords and log-in information through a public network.  

Always avoid using mobile banking apps or making online purchases whilst logged onto a public Wi-Fi network. For those who do need to use public Wi-Fi, use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) app. A VPN can protect data from getting into the wrong hands by encrypting online data and keeping personal information secure when using a public Wi-Fi connection.  

  1. Turn off ‘sharing’ settings when not in use 

Smartphone features that share a location should be used with caution and always turned off when not in use. Features such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, location services, mobile data and Near Field Communication (NFC) are susceptible to hacking, especially Bluetooth location services as they transmit a device’s location and presence. 

Hackers can easily get hold of personal information and data through features that mark a phone as ‘visible’, so always make sure to disable such features when they are not needed. 

  1. Only download legitimate apps 

Downloading illegitimate apps is another way to open your personal data up to hackers. Often, apps hosted on some websites or third-party app stores can contain malware and can access data once downloaded. It’s recommended that users only download apps from the official app stores, so App Store for iOS users, Google Play for Android users or the AppGallery for Huawei owners. 

  1. Be wary of app permissions 

When an app is first downloaded, it often asks for ‘permission’ to access certain features or information held on a mobile phone. From the camera roll, to your speaker, location or phone contact list, apps can ask for a range of permissions in order for certain functions to work.  

Be cautious of what information an app is requesting access to and question whether the app actually needs that information. For example, a photo editing app doesn’t need contact list information in order to function correctly, so take the time to properly think about whether or not that information is needed. 

Viral video app, TikTok, recently came under fire for security issues in the US, with reports claiming that the Pentagon warned U.S. military personnel in January to delete TikTok from their phones and India, last month, banned Tik-Tok amongst other apps, over security and privacy concerns so it’s always important to review what permissions are being asked for by an app. 

  1. Avoid using auto-login 

Whilst it’s recommended to have a variety of passwords for online accounts rather than the same password, auto-login gives hackers easy access to personal data by simply opening up an app or webpage. For those likely to forget multiple passwords, note them down in a secure, password protected note on a phone, or in a notebook that is kept secure and stored away. 

And it’s not just using your mobile phone that can open your personal data up to hackers. What happens if your mobile phone is lost or stolen? Insurance2go  shares some useful tips for people who might find themselves in this scenario and want to keep their personal data safe: 

  1. Firstly, report the phone as missing to the network provider, who can suspend or disconnect the service to the phone. This can help stop any authorised use of the phone if it falls into the wrong hands. 
  1. If the mobile phone is known to be stolen, inform the police who will be able to provide a crime number, which can be used if the user needs to inform an insurance provider.    
  1. Most smartphones now have a built in ‘kill switch’, which can allow a user to remotely deactivate a device if it’s lost or stolen. In order to work, the feature needs to be enabled. For iPhone users, the ‘Activation Lock’ can be enabled within the‘Find My’ app to help keep data safe. Firstly, go to the‘Find My’app > Tap thedevices tab and choose which device is lost or stolen, then tap Activate under ‘Mark as Lost’and follow the prompts on screen. Android users can enable the kill switch with ‘Find My Device’. Go to Settings >Google>Security, then turn on ‘Remotely locate this device’and ‘Allow remote lock and erase’. 
  1. Finally, immediately change passwords for any accounts or apps that can be accessed on the mobile phone. Prioritise any important accounts first, such as online banking and other associated accounts. 

Richard Gray, Head of Marketing and Digital, at Insurance2go said: “Our mobile phones are home to lots of stored data and without correctly protecting your personal information, it could easily land in the wrong hands. 

“‘SIM-jacking’ is a common method where hackers are able to use stolen data to obtain a Porting Authorisation Code (PAC). This can then be used to switch the victim’s phone number to another phone on another network, helping them gain access to a range of personal data and information, often including banking details. 

“Protecting data stored on a mobile phone is extremely important. Hackers are often creating new ways to get a hold of our data, so we hope that by sharing our tips, we can help people avoid getting caught out by fraudsters.” 

To find out more about VPNs and how to protect data whilst on a public Wi-Fi, please visit: https://www.Insurance2go .co.uk/about/news-blog/blog/everything-you-ve-ever-wanted-to-know-about-vpns 

MPs call for tougher restrictions on phone use in cars

The Government should consider tougher restrictions on driving while using a mobile phone and stricter enforcement of the law to prevent the ‘entirely avoidable’ tragedy of deaths and serious injuries from related crashes on the roads, MPs say.

‘Receiving and sending data equally dangerous’

In Road Safety: driving while using a mobile phone, the Transport Committee says the evidence is clear: using a mobile phone while driving is dangerous, with potentially catastrophic consequences.

MPs call on Government to overhaul current laws on using hand-held mobile devices while driving, to cover use irrespective of whether this involves sending or receiving data.

As evidence shows that using a hands-free device creates the same risks of crashing, the Committee also recommends that Government explores options for extending the ban on hand-held devices to hands-free phones.

In 2017, there were 773 casualties, including 43 deaths and 135 serious injuries, in collisions where a driver using a mobile phone was a contributory factor. The number of people killed or seriously injured has risen steadily since 2011.

Tougher enforcement needed

However, the rate of enforcement has plunged by more than two thirds since 2011. Enforcing the law is essential to ensuring that motorists do not illegally use their mobile phone while driving.  While the Committee welcomes the Government’s review of roads policing and traffic enforcement, the report calls on the Government to work with police to boost enforcement and make better use of technology.

The penalties for using a hand-held mobile phone while driving were increased in 2017 but still do not appear to be commensurate with the risk created and should be reviewed and potentially increased so that it is clear there are serious consequences to being caught, says the Report.

Chair of the Committee, Lilian Greenwood MP, said: “Despite the real risk of catastrophic consequences for themselves, their passengers and other road users, far too many drivers continue to break the law by using hand-held mobile phones.

“If mobile phone use while driving is to become as socially unacceptable as drink driving much more effort needs to go into educating drivers about the risks and consequences of using a phone behind the wheel. Offenders also need to know there is a credible risk of being caught, and that there are serious consequences for being caught.

“There is also a misleading impression that hands-free use is safe. The reality is that any use of a phone distracts from a driver’s ability to pay full attention and the Government should consider extending the ban to reflect this.

“Each death and serious injury which results from a driver using a mobile phone is a tragedy that is entirely avoidable. We need tougher restrictions, better enforcement and more education to make our roads safer for all.”

Tens of thousands of drivers get increased fines for using mobiles at wheel

More than 26,000 motorists have been caught using a handheld mobile phone while driving in the first year since harsher penalties came into force. Among these are 500 novice drivers who have had their licences revoked for using their phone behind the wheel in their first 2 years of driving. Continue reading Tens of thousands of drivers get increased fines for using mobiles at wheel

'Tis the season … for mobile phone scams

It may be the season of goodwill, but Police Scotland would like to remind the public that not everyone has goodness in their heart …

phone

Over recent months, there has been an increase in adverts on social media selling sites advertising high price mobile phones.

This scheme requires the victim to forward their mobile phone and a sum of money, in return a new high value mobile phone will be dispatched to you.

The truth is that no mobile phone arrives and you have lost your original phone and a sum of money.

Whilst not trying to undermine the entrepreneurism of sellers, Police Scotland would like to remind the general public that although many use social selling sites safely, use caution in any transaction they intend becoming involved in and do not provide bank details or send any high value items or cash to sellers in advance.

If anyone has any information about the incident they are encouraged to contact Police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111

or online at http://www.crimestoppers-uk.org/

No personal details are taken, information is not traced or recorded and you will not go to court.