Best Practices for Mobile Device Security

This article outlines essential security measures to protect your mobile device and the personal data it contains from unauthorized access or malicious activity.

• General Public

• Vanderbilt University Community

  • Faculty and Staff

  • Undergraduate Students

  • Graduate and Professional Students

• VUIT Internal Knowledge 

• Have a mobile device such as a smartphone or tablet.

• Have basic knowledge of device settings and features.

Mobile devices carry sensitive data such as emails, contacts, banking information, and personal files. Ensuring proper security on these devices is critical to protecting your privacy and personal information from theft or misuse. This article highlights key security practices you should follow to enhance your device's protection.

• Use a Strong Passcode or Biometric Authentication

  • Set up a strong passcode (at least eight digits) or enable biometric authentication, such as fingerprint or facial recognition, to prevent unauthorized access.

    • See: Password Requirements

• Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

  • Wherever possible, enable multi-factor authentication for your accounts. This provides an extra layer of security by requiring a secondary method of verification, such as a code sent to your phone.

    • See: MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication)

• Keep Your Device Software Updated

  • Regularly install software updates for your mobile device. Updates often contain important security patches that protect against newly discovered vulnerabilities.

• Avoid Public Wi-Fi for Sensitive Transactions

  • Avoid using public or unsecured Wi-Fi networks when accessing sensitive information such as banking or email accounts. If you must use public Wi-Fi, consider using a virtual private network (VPN) to secure your connection.

    • See: VPN (Virtual Private Network) for VU use or consider leveraging a personal VPN for personal use. 

• Install Apps Only from Trusted Sources

  • Download apps only from official app stores like Google Play or the Apple App Store. Third-party app stores can host malicious apps designed to steal your data.

• Review App Permissions

  • Regularly review the permissions granted to apps on your device. Disable unnecessary permissions, especially for apps that request access to sensitive features like your location, contacts, or camera.

• Enable Remote Wipe Features

  • Set up a remote wipe option for your device, such as "Find My iPhone" for Apple devices or "Find My Device" for Android. In case your device is lost or stolen, you can remotely erase your data to prevent unauthorized access.

• Encrypt Your Device

  • For personal devices: enable full-disk encryption on your mobile device, if not already enabled by default. This ensures that your data is protected in case the device is lost or stolen.

  • VU issued devices have full-disk encryption enabled by default.

• Back Up Your Data

  • Regularly back up your data to a secure cloud service or an external storage device. This ensures that you can recover your important files in case of device failure or loss. 

    • See: Document Storage Options, or consider researching options from Apple, Google, or Samsung for full device data backups.

• Beware of Phishing Attacks

  • Be cautious of unsolicited messages or emails requesting personal information. Cybercriminals often use phishing tactics to trick users into revealing sensitive data or downloading malware.

    • See: How to Detect a Phishing Email and How to Report a Phishing Email

• Lost or Stolen Device: Use remote wipe functionality to secure your data. If your mobile device is issued by Vanderbilt University, you should report the incident and place a service request for further assistance.

  • For VU Issued devices, see: What to Do if Your VU Issued Device is Lost or Stolen

• Forgotten Passcode: Most devices allow you to reset your passcode through an associated account, such as your Apple ID or Google account.

• Find My iPhone

• Find My Device for Android

• How to Report a Security Incident

• How to Detect a Phishing Email

• How to Report a Phishing Email

• Document Storage Options

• VPN (Virtual Private Network) 

• MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication)

• Password Requirements

• What to Do if Your VU Issued Device is Lost or Stolen