These days we use our mobile devices for virtually everything, from paying bills to ordering goods and services, scanning the web and watching our favorite shows. Most of us have both personal and business information spread across multiple devices, leaving us vulnerable to hackers and cyber threats attempting to obtain our precious data.

Mobile device security breaches can be very damaging to a person's well-being. The loss of sensitive personal information, private pictures, and banking/credit card information, can be easily taken from a mobile device without proper security measures in place. With this in mind, we have provided a few mobile device security tips to help protect you and the devices you use on a daily basis.

Keep your operating system and apps up to date
Software companies issue regular updates to fix bugs, add new features, or update operating system software. It’s a good practice to run these as soon as possible or elect to activate the automatic update feature on all your devices. These updates are designed to protect your device and the data it stores.

Password protection and other security features to consider

• Create strong passwords for each of your devices
• Enable 2-factor authentication for an additional layer of security
• Use a password manager to create strong, complex passwords, and keep them safely stored in one location
• Consider features like face recognition or Touch ID to unlock devices
• Visit the device manufacturer’s website to see if the company has security recommendations for their products

Use mobile device antivirus software
As a best practice for any mobile device — phones, tablets or other — consider adding antivirus software for the additional security it provides against malware or other viruses. Keep your antivirus programs updated at all times and consider activating the auto-update feature to ensure consistency.

Use the manufacturer security features available on your device(s)
Losing a smartphone or other device can be very stressful. As a best practice, turn on the remote tracking feature in your mobile device settings. Apple's Find My app or Google’s Find My Device can help locate a missing device, even if it’s gone offline. Both features allow you to remotely wipe the device’s data if it’s stolen or can’t be retrieved.