6 Ways to Help You #BeAppSafe



TELUS and Cyber Safe have partnered together to create the #BeAppSafe campaign, an online resource for keeping Canadians safe in their digital lives. As a TELUS WISE Ambassador, this is a great opportunity for myself to talk about what to look for before entering the wireless world.

Here are 6 ways you can #BeAppSafe:

1.     Only download from apps from trusted sources, such as App Stores: You should never be downloading an app from a Third Party source. Any app that is download from the Google Play Store, Apple App Store, Blackberry World, etc are scanned and tested for malware before being uploaded. These apps approved by the manufacturer and are safe to download.

Did you know? 65% of Canadians play games on their mobile device.

2.     Keep your operating system up to date: You know those pesky notifications that we get almost daily for app updates or software updates? Do them! Most of them contain security updates and bug fixes that will help make your device run smoother and risk free.

3.     Check the permission and privacy settings for all apps and games you download: Most apps requiring a lot of information to run whether it's a username and password or your current location. Limit what you share and only give what is required for the app to work. Also check your privacy settings and limit what access unknown users have to your profile.

Did you know? Game apps have the highest incidence and severity of privacy infringements.

4.     Turn off tracking apps on your smartphone: Not only does tracking your location drain your battery, but it gives your apps access to everywhere you have been. Go into your settings and manage your location services. Some apps like maps and weather make it necessary to know your location, but does Facebook and Snapchat really need to know where you are?

Did you know? 53% of Canadians are unaware that apps could track their physical location.

5.     Set strong passwords: Setting a password or lock on your phone is just as important as locking your house before you leave for the day. If you lose or have your device stolen, anyone can access your information. Make sure your password is hard to crack, but also easy to remember. Use a combination of numbers, lower and upper case characters.

Did you know? 54% of Canadians value the information on their smartphone more than device itself.

 6.     Don't click on suspicious links: Anything that seems too good to true probably is. Avoid scams by deleting suspicious emails, text messages and target advertising. A good rule of thumb is to only trusted sites with "https" in the URL. The "S" stands for secure, this ensures that you and your information is safe.

Did you know? There are on average 270 million text messages sent in Canada every day.

 For more information, join the conversation on Twitter @KELCOMWireless @TELUS @GetCyberSafe using #BeAppSafe and #TELUSWISE

Sources: TELUS, Get Cyber Safe, Symantec Mobile App Security, CWTA, Norton Canadian Cyber Survey 2014, comScore.

If you are a TELUS customer you can book a one-on-one session with a TELUS Learning Centre Specialist at any KELCOM location to learn more about the safety features and functionality of your smartphone at no cost.

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