About this guest author:  Sean Coyne holds an MBA focused on information systems and serves as a program analyst to the healthcare industry.

There are many people out there who may not be aware of how important smartphone security can be for them. Most people will have a host of antivirus programs installed on their computer at home. But some might not put the same priority on their mobile devices. This may become problematic, because there are people everywhere who are using their smartphones to handle more sensitive information these days. It may take some time to research some of the security options that may be available to smartphone users out there. Some users may want to check out a few of these tips on how they can enhance their security.

1. Use Approved Mobile Apps

This should be high on the list for many smartphone users that are out there. They will want to only use applications that have been approved by a major hosting site. If you use iPhone or Android apps, you are likely aware of the online shops that sell them. You will be happy to know that there is actually a screening process that helps weed out apps that may contain security issues. Take advantage of these sites by exclusively downloading the apps that you need from them.

2. Install Mobile Antivirus Software

For many users, this may have already been done when they bought their phone. A number of smartphone manufacturers are starting to sell their models with the newest lines of mobile antivirus software. This can help these phones from becoming prematurely damaged by simple viruses that the user may encounter. Some people might want to take a look at the different options available to them such as

They will also want to make sure that this antivirus software gets updated on a regular basis.

image credit: sxc.hu

3. Avoid Storing Passwords Using Your Phone

If you use your computer at home, you may regularly store your passwords using your web browser. This may be OK on your PC, because you have a host of advanced antivirus programs to protect you. By contrast, the antivirus protection for your smartphone may be a little more thin. You won’t want to risk compromising your data security by storing passwords on your phone very often.

4. Use A Touchscreen Locking Program

You may have seen a number of new touchscreen locking programs that are becoming available to enhance smartphone security. There are some people who may not have had this installed yet. But this is a very valuable tool to install on your smartphone device. It can prevent data from becoming compromised if you accidentally lose your phone.

5. Routinely Wipe Data From Your Phone

Try not to store sensitive data on your smartphone, if that is at all possible. For some users, this may seem like a difficult proposal. They likely use their smartphone devices to manage online banking and interpersonal communication. This means that users will gather data that can be used to steal their identity. This is one of the most important reasons why you should consider upgrading the smartphone security for your device. Try to find a program that can intermittently wipe the data you have stored on your phone.