8 Things That Make Your Phone An Easy Target for Hackers

Is your phone vulnerable to a cyberattack? If you’re making any of these very common mistakes, the answer is yes.

How mobile devices are becoming go-to targets for cybercrime


Cybercrime is, unfortunately, a growth industry, and more and more, bad actors are using our phones as their point of attack. According to research conducted by the digital security company iovation, 59 percent of risky transactions in North America happen on mobile devices. “Fraudsters are like chameleons. They are always adapting their tactics to make it look like they’re legitimate customers,” said Melissa Gaddis, iovation’s Senior Director of Customer Success, of the study’s findings.

The other problem is that most people don’t understand just how much their phones put them at risk. “There is a very common misconception that phones are not susceptible to hackers the same way computers are,” says Alexander M. Kehoe, co-founder and Operations Director of Caveni Digital Solutions. “While this may have been true when smartphones first became popular, it is simply no longer the case. In fact, in the United States, nearly 1.42 percent of all devices have been subject to a ransomware attack. So out of every 100 people you pass on the street, at least one of those people has had a virus on their phone.”says Ariya CEO of Berichbizgroups

This is a problem for individuals—and the companies they work for. “Growing numbers of people are accessing sensitive corporate and personal content on the same mobile device they use for checking Facebook, downloading games, and e-mailing friends,” says Eric Williams, founder and CEO of ijura, a mobile threat defense solutions provider. “Personal apps can be a serious exposure point, as many hackers use legitimate apps to create trust with users while getting them to pass over sensitive information or download malicious content.”

We asked cyber experts to share the most vulnerable points of attack that criminals use to access the data on your phone—and what you can do to protect yourself.

Avoid free public Wi-Fi

Always use a VPN (Virtual Private Network) when on your mobile device. A VPN protects you from connecting to the same unprotected network as multiple other users. These open Wi-Fi networks allow cybercriminals to easily distribute malicious software to everyone connected in the blink of an eye. While it doesn’t cross most consumers’ minds, it’s actually really simple for hackers to set up a fake malicious network and pretend to be ‘Free Airport Wi-Fi’ or ‘Starbucks Wi-Fi.’” —Paul Lipman, CEO of the cybersecurity firm BullGuard. Don’t miss these other cybersecurity secrets hackers don’t want you to know.

Don’t use public charging stations

Charging a cellphone via USB from a public computer or charging station puts one’s data and device at risk. However, sometimes there is no other option. In such cases, the best thing to do is to find a wireless charger that will refresh the device’s battery but not endanger the smartphone or its data. For example, in addition to its wireless charging technology, Apple has recently added a feature that asks the user, when charging with a USB from a computer, if they trust the computer. If the user does not trust the charging computer, only the battery of the smartphone is charged and no data is transferred.” —Moshe Elias, Director of Product Marketing at Allot. The

Make sure you have a password-protected screen lock   

One of the biggest mistakes people make is not having a PIN or password set on the phone. Think about it: We take our phones everywhere, and it only takes a moment of inattention at a store, hair salon, or coffee shop to allow someone to pick up your phone. In just a few minutes, a hacker can install a spy app on your phone that can monitor what you do, or a thief can just walk away with the phone and have access to your information—maybe your address and bank account. Requiring a passcode to log in can at least slow a thief down enough for you to realize your phone has been stolen and take steps. I recommend having a method set up that will allow you to remotely wipe the phone and protect your data.

Use two-factor authentication

Having two-factor authentication set up on your devices or major personal accounts—e-mail, banking, etc.—can make a huge difference if you ever become a victim of hacking. Two-factor authentication adds an additional layer of security to your account.”
           

    Don’t have text previews on your screen

             

Text previews are what you see on your lock screen when someone texts you. If these are enabled, it will show the content of the message. If disabled, then it will simply notify you that there is a message to view. The problem with text previews is they give a hacker access to your text messages, even if they don’t have the passcode to unlock your phone. Here’s one example of why this is an issue. Many websites now use two-factor authentication, which means when you log in to your e-mail account, social profiles, or bank, they send a four- or six-digit pin to your phone that you have to input to verify it is really you. With text previews, hackers are able to view these numbers. The best way to protect yourself from his vulnerability is to turn text previews off. The minor inconvenience is worth the major boost in security.

              Delete old e-mails

If you never delete the probably hundreds of log-in e-mails from your e-mail account, you have created a gold mine for hackers. All they have to do is get into your e-mail, and then they have access to every service or website you’ve used.

             
Don’t click unknown links on social media Except it from a blog or a trust site
 
While most of us would not click on a suspicious link in an e-mail, there are countless posts on our Twitter and Facebook timelines with links that we don’t even give a second thought to before clicking. It is a best practice to use URL shorteners like Bitly on social media, but for users, there is no way of knowing where these shortened links will take us until after we have already clicked on them. Clicking on links through our social-media accounts could take us to sites where we could be exposed to spyware or malware or even have our devices hijacked by hackers.” —Andrew Selepak, PhD, program director at the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications. You also need to stop using Facebook, Twitter, or Google to log in to apps.

Make sure you log out

This is the most common problem, which can lead to someone stealing your credit card information or other personal info. Don’t forget to log out from your PayPal, Amazon, eBay, and other sensitive accounts.” shegrot inspiration from our expiriense

Set your phone to automatically update software

When I am updating my Huawei phone my wife always seen it as waisting of time and data.
Apple and Google routinely update their iPhone and Android software to fix newly discovered security vulnerabilities and to help prevent future ones. New security updates must sometimes be manually downloaded and almost always require you to restart your phone. The inconvenience is far outweighed by the benefits of doing this.”

Top Seven Reasons Generators Fail to Start

The availability of this continuous power helps businesses & Churches
 maintain operations, avoid revenue loss.
  To safeguard facilities from
 the disastrous consequences of power
disruption, more companies are
 choosing to invest in standby power systems.

 


Investing in such a system can be quite expensive — often at a price
 tag running into the hundreds of thousands of Naira most expecially in Nigeria.
 Companies and Churches must understand what it takes to properly operate and maintain
their power equipment, as a lack of generator maintenance or
 operation knowledge will undoubtedly result in generator
 failure at a time when they need it most.

With today's complex standby power systems, you must understand
 the basic settings of your systems, the methods and procedures
involved in regular maintenance, and the protocol to deal with
 alarm conditions in the case of system failure. This
information will keep you from wasting valuable business
time over generator failure due to inaccurate settings or
neglected maintenance. Let's take a look at seven of the most
common reasons generators fail to start in the first place, and what you
 can do to try and prevent these from occurring.

Battery failure

For the generator that uses battery,the single most frequent
service call for generator failure is related
to battery failure. Eighty percent of all battery failure is related to
 sulfation buildup — the accumulation of lead sulfates on the
 plates of lead-acid batteries. This buildup occurs when the sulfur
 molecules in the electrolyte (battery acid) become so deeply
 discharged that they begin to coat the battery's lead plates. When
 enough plate area has sulfated, the battery will not be able
 to provide enough current and will normally need to
 be replaced. Battery failure is commonly the result of low
electrolyte levels — battery plates exposed to
air will immediately sulfate.

Battery cells are shorted when sedimentary trays fill up with lead debris.
You can avoid shorted batteries if you replace them regularly. Some
experts recommend replacing them every three years.

Although battery failure can result from open cells, this is not a
 common occurrence. Open cells are the result of an overcurrent of
the battery system. If a generator system has had several battery
failures determined to be caused by open cells, the unit may require
larger batteries capable of higher cold cranking amps (CCAs).

Frequently, battery failure is due to the charger breaker
 being open or tripped — often the result of human error rather
 than actual charger failure. This usually occurs after service
 on a generator, or some type of maintenance, where the charger has been
 turned off and not turned back on again when the service
 is completed. Always double check a generator system after
 any service or maintenance to make sure everything is functioning properly.
Because many battery problems are caused by dirty and loose
 connections, maintenance is critical. Cable connections
 need to be regularly cleaned and tightened. Battery charger
 failures are difficult to prevent, and cannot be accurately
 predicted. However, monitoring the charge rates from month to month
 will establish a trend that can help map the potential
 for failure. A properly functioning battery charger will have
 a constant charge rate for any given system. An increase of amperage
may show signs of a battery or charger malfunction.


Low coolant levels

The most obvious cause for a low coolant level is either an external or
 internal leak. Pay close attention to any visible puddles of coolant
during weekly inspections of the unit(s). The color of the coolant varies
 by manufacturer and may look like red-dyed diesel fuel. Inspect oil
 for any signs of color change or a milky texture and hoses
 for “crusties” — the sign of coolant seeping and additives drying
 up at the connection. While many generators are equipped with
low coolant level alarms, few have a dedicated alarm indicator for
low coolant. Commonly, this alarm will be tied in to a high coolant
 temp shutdown circuit.

Internally plugged radiator cores will also cause low coolant
level shutdowns. When the generator is under load, the thermostats
 open completely, and the radiator cannot allow the proper amount
 of flow through the core. The coolant has to go somewhere, so it
 purges through the overflow line. As the engine cools off and the
 thermostat closes, the level drops and activates the low coolant level shutdown.

This also occurs when float switch-type coolant level sensors are used, and
the lines are plumbed to the top and bottom radiator tanks. When the
 thermostats open, the path of least resistance is through the float
 switch lines, and the flow causes the float to drop and shutdown
the engine. The thermostat will not open enough to cause this during
regular weekly running of the generator. It will have to be tested under
load to cause the thermostats to fully open. A full load test
 with an external load bank is the only accurate way to check a cooling system.

Controls not in auto

“Not in auto” messages are the direct result of human error. The obvious
 reason for “not in auto” situations is because the main control switch
 was left in the off/reset position. This usually occurs after testing or
 servicing of a generator. After any service is performed on a unit, always
 double check the generator system yourself.

The control switch may have several positions as
 in “off/reset” and “cool down,” which will cause the generator
 not to start in the event of a power outage. These positions should give
an alarm. “Not in auto” is a generic term for the unit not being shut off, and
may not actually be the main control switch.
 Alarms not reset, breakers open, switchgear not reset, and emergency
stop buttons activated are all examples of “not in auto” failures.

Several generator makes/models are set up to short trip the main circuit
 breaker during an emergency fault shutdown. When the generator shuts itself
 down for any reason, someone has to physically reset the control panel to clear
 the alarm. There may be several things to check and reset after
 a fault shutdown; however, this should only be done once the cause
 of the alarm has been identified and corrected.



Air in the fuel system

This is a common problem with newer generators that are not run on a regular basis.
 Closer tolerances within the fuel systems to meet today's emission requirements
 make fuel systems more susceptible to air affecting startup. This is not as
common with older generators — many of which may have a leak in a line or check
 valves that are not properly holding the fuel in the engine.

Lighter low-sulfur fuel has lower flash temperature, which causes the block
 heater to flash off some of the fuel within the injectors. One small bubble
 of air within a unit injector solenoid can cause an injector not to
 fire at startup. If enough injectors do not fire, the engine will not start.
This failure is 100% preventable by periodically running the engine
during weekly inspections. The engine does not need to be run until
the coolant temp comes to normal. All that is needed is enough time to
verify that the engine will start, that the air is cleared from
 the fuel system, and that the generator comes up to voltage and
frequency. This can be completed in less than 5 minutes. Any additional
 test running would simply burn up fuel and air quality maintenance run time.


Ran out of fuel

Mechanical fuel level gauges may not always be accurate. Unlike a vehicle
 that is moving and using a higher percentage of its tank's capacity, a generator
 tank has no movement, causing the fuel to become stagnant.
Mechanical gauges may also stick in a position until vibrations break them free.

Low level alarms must also be addressed, as they provide the
same failure alarm. Some generators are equipped with
 “low level shutdown” or “critical fuel level shutdown.” These shutdowns
 are there to prevent the fuel system from drawing in air when
 running out of fuel is eminent. Bleeding air out of a fuel tank
 can be an extremely difficult procedure.

Running out of fuel due to plugged fuel filters can be prevented by
maintaining the fuel tanks and periodically checking them for water
 and contaminants. Water or moisture in fuel can be damaging to diesel
 engines because the water properties create advanced ignition and
 accelerated detonation. If you use fuel polishing as an alternative
 to cleaning your fuel, check with your vendor to see if its fuel is
affected by the chemicals; fuel polishing may not be able to remove water.
 Fuel filter plugging should be expected with the new ultra-low sulfur
 fuel, which has a very high detergent level and will clean out your
lines and whatever else it comes in contact with.

Engines equipped with electric shutoff solenoids should always
 have a manual bypass. There are several reasons to have shutoff
 solenoids; large remote above ground tanks can gravity feed to the
 engine, overpressuring the seals in the pumps or injectors and
 causing the fuel to mix with the oil. Solenoids should be DC power
activating at the time of initial crank signal and remaining open until
after the engine makes a complete stop.




Breaker trip

First, verify that nobody has accidentally pushed a remote emergency power off switch.

If a breaker trips after the automatic transfer switch (ATS), the
generator will not start. The status of the automatic transfer switch
should be checked during a power outage. The ATS should have lights or
 a display showing the switch position and source availability.
If you find a breaker tripped, make sure you can determine the cause
of the trip prior to resetting.

Never try to manually operate an ATS if you don't know how to do so properly.
Severe bodily injury or immediate death can occur. The transfer switch is
 smarter than you think and has a specific reason for being in its current
 position; attempting manual operation may drag you into a live bus if done incorrectly.



Oil, fuel, or coolant leaks

Most often, oil leaks are not in fact leaks but the result of
 “wet stacking” (or “engine slobber”) caused by excessive no-load run time.
 Diesel engine generators are designed to operate with a
 load — most effectively in the 70% to 80% range of rated output.
When generators operate considerably below the rated output level, the
 engine can start to over-fuel or “wet stack” and damage the engine.

Wet stacking — an accumulation of carbon particles, unburned
 fuel, lube oil, condensed water, and acids in the exhaust system — is caused
 by low-combustion chamber temperature. When a diesel engine wet stacks, the engine
 will need to be cleaned up by loading the unit for a few hours and burning
 off the excess fuel. If a diesel engine generator steadily runs loads
 considerably below the rated output level, you should pair the generator
 with an automatic load bank, which will place a false load on the
generator system, keeping the engine properly loaded and preventing
 a “wet stack” condition.

Another cause of oil leaks is directly related to the
crankcase breathers. Most engine crankcase breathers vent directly
 under the engine. The fumes that come out of the breather contain an
 oil mist, which can produce a puddle under the engine and coat the
 generator and radiator with an oil film that collects dirt and debris.
Recirculating breathers are available that can separate the oil and
return it to the engine; remaining fumes get returned to the engine air intakes.

The most common coolant leak occurs in the block heater hoses.
 Extreme temperatures on the outlet make block heaters hard on
 their hoses. For this reason, you should never use rubber hoses
for block heaters; silicon hoses are specifically designed for use
 with block heaters. Always install isolation ball valves for block
 heater hose connections.

Cooling system maintenance will help prevent leaks. Replacement of hoses and coolant
 every three years is recommended. Generators using newer extended-life
 coolant should still have hoses replaced and the additive package upgraded
 every three years. Cooling system antifreeze protection and conditioner
should be maintained to the manufacturer's specifications. Radiator core
damage is directly related to the coolant that is in the system. Poorly
maintained coolant will cause liner pitting and eventually severe engine damage.

Most fuel leak service calls are due to overfilling of the base tank. This
 is due to either human error or a failure of a pump system. Check remote
 tank pump systems and emergency shutoff systems periodically for proper
 functioning, and flexible fuel lines regularly for cracks and signs of aging.