Having a phone for business purposes can allow you to keep your work and personal lives even more separate. This may also mean that you are able to call clients, or even browse emails and documents, without being accountable for the usage or contract. Although the mobile phone may not belong to you, it can still be a good idea to keep it safe. This doesn’t just involve protecting it from spills, falls, or other damage. You may want to think about how your users can contribute to either risks or safety.
The calls you receive
Even if you try to keep your business mobile number as private as possible, you may find that spam and nuisance call trickle in. Answering them could potentially lead to more in the future, as they then may have the knowledge that your number is viable. The alternative can be allowing the call to end, and then looking up who called me on your web browser. This can enable you to figure out who the call might be from, especially if you don’t recognize the number. Other previous recipients of calls may give information regarding who called, what they wanted, and if it is dangerous. Should it be listed as likely to be a scam, you may then want to block the number if your phone has that ability.
Avoid third-party software
Your company may have specific apps they want you to install and use for work purposes. When doing so, it can be important to use the official app store associated with your phone. Some third-party apps may be safe. However, unless you genuinely know it is coming from the brand or company that made it, you could be opening your business device up to viruses. Installing apps outside of safe environments could allow important and sensitive working data to be stolen, and even prevent the phone from working correctly. If you are ever in doubt, it can be a good idea to not install anything, and ask your manager for support on the matter.
Scan your phone
It is likely that your phone may be one of your main sources of communicating and accessing the internet alongside your work computer. While you may have anti-virus software on your PC, you may not have given much thought to doing the same for your phone. Regularly scanning your phone could help to find, and eliminate, malware or other viruses. You might want to check with your workplace first, to both gain permission to install the relevant, and legitimate, application, as well as to see if they have a preferred provider. This could also be a good opportunity to discuss taking out a business anti-virus software license with your employer.
Mobile phone safety isn’t just for children or personal phones. Your business device could also be at risk. By making sensible choices when using it, and doing what you can to increase its security, you may find your level of risk significantly lessened.