Before setting up your hygiene routine, you may wish to check whether your details have been compromised already. This can be done through websites such as haveibeenpwned.com and breachalarm.com that let you know whether hackers have recently exposed your email password online.

Your phone PIN is your first line of protection against a potential theft. Thus, avoid using the same four-digit code for every other account in your life, and especially ensure that the sequences you use for work and home devices are different. The same goes for passwords; just because you’re using a mobile device, that doesn’t make them any less important. Make sure to protect apps with sensitive data, such as your banking apps, with passwords that are unique and use a combination of numbers, symbols, and letters.

Take stock of your application inventory and spend some time deleting apps you no longer use. You would be surprised at how many apps store personal data, and you can reduce the risk of being compromised by culling them, plus you can always redownload an app if you need it in the future. Whether it’s the gaming app you downloaded years ago for your long commute, or an old bank app you no longer use, while cleaning, make a note of which apps have access to sensitive or important personal data.

It’s important to be well-armed in the fight against malware, so kit yourself out with some robust fortifications. Antivirus software such as ESET Mobile Security secures your device against cybersecurity issues, including spyware, trojans and malicious apps.

Keep your software updated to protect against vulnerabilities that can be exploited by hackers, including both your operating system and individual applications. Keeping your technology updated and current is one of the easiest ways to stay safe online, as bad actors will often target users who use vulnerable, outdated software.