As technology progresses and gets more and more sophisticated, the number of ways you may need to protect yourself and your data may also have to increase. Some of the major benefits of using 5G is better speed and phone efficiency. But 5G can also come with a cost, and if you aren’t carefully monitoring certain settings you could leave yourself open to privacy breaches. According to tech experts, this is the setting every 5G owner needs to change immediately.
Wi-Fi Security
Don’t sleep on this one: the setting that every 5G owner should change immediately is their Wi-Fi security, according to Tech Expert Jimmy Huh at ThinkWave. “Wi-Fi security is a key element of digital privacy and security, and 5G owners should set their Wi-Fi security to WPA2, WPA3, or WPA3+ to ensure the highest level of privacy and security,” Huh said. “Wi-Fi security helps protect your data and devices from hackers, as well as keeps your device from broadcasting your location or sending data to unknown sources. By setting your Wi-Fi security, you can prevent unauthorized access to your device and data. Without proper Wi-Fi security, hackers can intercept information sent to and from your device, potentially compromising your security and privacy.”
Another setting that Huh says 5G owners should change ASAP is their cellular network settings. “By default, 5G devices are often set to automatically connect to the strongest cell tower signal in the area,” Huh said. “While this may be convenient, it can be a security risk. The strongest signal may not be the most secure, and connecting to it can put your data at risk of being intercepted. To ensure your data security, 5G owners should manually choose their cell tower signal, ensuring they are connecting to the most secure connection.”
This would be a good time to also change your mobile device’s default privacy settings. “By default, many 5G devices set the ‘share my location’ setting to ‘Always,’ which allows your device to transmit its location information to other devices and services,” said Finn Wheatley, executive consultant of data and technology at Xtrium. “This can be a major security risk, as it allows anyone to track your device’s location and potentially gain access to your personal information. To ensure your privacy and security, it is crucial to change this setting to ‘Never’ or ‘While Using the App.’ This will ensure that your device only shares its location information when you explicitly grant permission. This will also help protect your battery life, as it prevents your device from constantly sending out its location information.”
And, while on the topic of battery power, 5G owners should adjust their phone’s power settings to ensure their battery lasts as long as possible. “By default, most 5G devices are set to ‘always on’ mode, which can quickly drain the battery,” Huh said. “To maximize battery life and reduce overall power consumption, 5G owners should adjust their phone’s power settings to ‘power saving’ mode. This will not only help conserve battery life, but it can also help reduce data usage, saving you money in the long run.”
