Top apps to keep your iPhone, iPad private and secure
Find My iPhone
Name: Find My iPhone
Developer: Apple
Price: Free
Compatibility: iOS |
Find My iPhone, developed by iPhone and iPad maker Apple, is an app useful in the wake of rising smartphone theft. If you've lost your iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch or Mac, you can use another iOS device with the app to sign in with your Apple ID for iCloud. Once signed in on another device, you can locate your missing gadget, lock it remotely, and hopefully recover it. If there's no hope of the latter, you can erase all of your data off the device.
See also: Apple, Google, Samsung agree to support smartphone kill switches
However, do not forget to enable Find my iPhone in iCloud settings, otherwise you will not be able to locate it later on.
Keeper Password & Data Vault
Name: Keeper Password & Data Vault
Developer: Callpod
Price: Free
Keeper Password & Data Vault is a password manager compatible with the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Android and browsers. The app can be used to keep track of passwords and sensitive data -- such as bank account numbers -- using 256-bit AES data storage and PBKDF2 encryption keys. The application also uses two-factor authentication and allows users to assign permissions for others to access vault data.
If you wish to back up your data through cloud storage, this service is available for between $9.99 and $29.99 per year.
Stash
Name: Stash
Developer: Hedonic Software
Price: $3.99
Compatibility: iOS
Stash is a private media and download manager which lets you keep photos, videos and documents private, even if someone accesses your phone without permission -- or you hand over your iPhone or iPad to your children to keep them occupied. Stash creates accounts with password or PIN protection, as well as accounts hidden unless unlocked with a secret gesture.
Album Lock
Name: Album Lock
Developer: Staral Wang
Price: Free
Compatibility: iOS
Album lock is another application useful for keeping photos, videos and documents private through password or PIN-protected albums. However, this app also includes a self-destruct feature which will delete everything stored privately if someone attempts to break in to secure folders.
PayPal
Name: PayPal
Developer: PayPal
Price: Free
PayPal is a widely-accepted online payment system which adds an additional layer of security to purchases made across the Internet. You can use the app to pay securely through your mobile device, whether you are buying clothes, gadgets, or a coffee in your city. PayPal also comes with an automatic fraud detection system which can help you keep your cash if you're duped by a phishing campaign or someone accesses your account without authorization.
Lookout
Name: Lookout
Developer: Lookout
Price: Free
Lookout is an alternative to Apple's Find my Phone application, set with a number of additional features. Over 50 million users currently take advantage of the security app, which offers device location through the Web, data backup, the ability to sound off an alarm even if your phone is on silent (after all, who hasn't lost their phone when it's nearby?), and a feature which displays a 'lost' message on your phone, complete with contact details.
The only missing element is a remote data wipe -- available only through Apple's app -- but for free software not developed by the iPhone maker itself, you can't complain at the wealth of other features on offer.
Avira Mobile Security
Name: Avira Mobile Security
Developer: Avira
Price: Free
Malicious software, fake apps and cyberattacks are targeting mobile devices more frequently, and so a number of apps have spring up to try and protect gadgets against this trend. One of those on offer is the Avira Mobile Security suite, which includes a malicious process scanner, identity protection tool, device locate map and operational system checker to remind you when you need to update.
Sophos Mobile Control
Name: Sophos Mobile Control
Developer: Sophos
Price: Free
An alternative malicious software scanner is Sophos Mobile Control, but this application is more suitable for business apps running on the iOS system. Through the application you can manage, configure and monitor all iOS devices connected to a corporate network, manage device security compliance and remotely control devices which may have been lost or stolen.
However, this app will only work in combination with either the Sophos Mobile Control MDM solution or a mobile license in Sophos Cloud.
Netstat
Name: Netstat
Developer: James Devenish
Price: Free
Netstat is a handy iOS app which allows you to monitor network connections. Through Netstat, users can check which servers and ports are being used on an iPhone or iPad, view host addresses and names, connection durations, and both bytes received & sent per connection.