Whenever you buy a new device, one of the first things you should be thinking about is how to protect it. Unfortunately, cybersecurity doesn't always cross our minds, though the internet provides us with enough reasons to fret about our security daily.

In today's day and age, nearly everyone owns a smartphone (or two), but many neglect the fact that not using adequate protection for their devices can have long-term consequences. Ironically enough, people put a big part of their lives into their phones, which is why so many young people can scarcely imagine their life without their smartphones.

And if you're taking a piece of technology so seriously, then you should take its safety just as seriously, if not even more.

While putting a password on your phone will provide you with some protection, it's not close to enough to all the precautionary measures you should take to protect your private data. If you do business over your smartphone or some financial transactions, just imagine what would happen if that sensitive information was to fall into the wrong hands. Not a pretty picture really, especially if you're not only endangering yourself, but also your work or even your company.

There are steps you can take to protect you and your smartphone from the cybercrime that is running rampant over the World Wide Web. It's important to note that these steps are designed to protect you from usual attacks that are pointed at millions of people simultaneously. If, however, someone wants your information so badly as to devise a strategy that will target your phone specifically, then you're in trouble and should definitely look for help from a professional.

Password protection

Your password counts as your entrance gate, and its durability depends on how much you try to strengthen it. This is why we'll guide you through a few things you can do that will significantly improve your password and the security it provides you with. After this, we'll look into the checklist of things you can do to strengthen your overall smartphone's security.

Don't share your password with anyone. Often times people don't consider giving their password to someone close being a big deal, but you're taking an unnecessary risk. We're not saying everyone in your surroundings is nasty and wants to get to your sensitive details at any cost, but only one person is enough to inflict damage that can't be fixed. This is why you should, at all times, keep your password private.

A strong password is a safe password. We all have a habit to come up with a password that is easily remembered, because we don't want to stay locked out of our phones. But guess what, if it's easy to remember, then it's easy to crack, too. That's why you should strive for passwords that have all the elements that make it stronger — special characters, upper and lower case letters, numbers, and all that jazz.

Your passwords should always be one of a kind. This means you should by no means use the same passwords for your email, Facebook and your phone. By doing this, you're making it too easy not only to crack your phone, but all the other apps you use as well.

Don't recycle old passwords. Once you change your password, don't come back to it after some time. It makes your phone vulnerable, and if that password is cracked once it remains unreliable forever.

After you've done all in your power to strengthen your password, you can move on to other actions that will further enhance your smartphones security.

Keep your phone with you

Though millions of people have had their phones stolen, we still have a tendency of keeping our phones out in the open when we're in public, and we often even forget about them just lying around somewhere. We're not just talking about your phone being physically stolen — though you should worry about that as well.

If someone can get a hold of your phone for a few minutes and implant a malicious program that can gather and track all your information and activities, you'll be in a world of trouble. So, our first advice is at the same time the easiest — treat your phone as a document and at all times have it with you.

Antivirus is a must

There's no joking about this. Getting good, tested and trustworthy antivirus software is something you should do as soon as you get your device. Not only will you be able to track when a threat pops up, but you'll also put a wall between you and all the malware out there from the beginning.

You can easily find a tested antivirus program that gets the job done, and you won't have to pay for it either, as you can find some efficient free antivirus programs both on Google Play and iTunes.

Consider getting a VPN

Virtual private network is becoming an irreplaceable tool for keeping your privacy at a satisfying level, despite all the surveillance we can't seem to escape. Almost every phone today has a VPN option in its security settings, and you should think about setting it up.

VPN will encrypt your internet connection, hide your IP and allow you to bypass all kinds of geoblocking that doesn't allow you to access freely all media content on the internet. Do your research if you decide to get/buy a VPN, read reviews, talk to different providers and choose a VPN that suits your needs.

Don't neglect OS updates

Chances are you're neglecting the notifications about your operating system update when they come up, but the fact is you should keep your OS as updated as possible. The whole point of updates is that they patch all the holes the older versions of the system had, so they can protect you in the best way possible.

Even if you don't feel like waiting around for your phone to update, you should do it. Your security will benefit from it.

Public networks pose a threat

This is something not many smartphone users realize. We all gladly use free Wi-Fi whenever the chance arises, but there is a real danger lurking behind it.

Someone could be monitoring the unprotected public networks on airports, in restaurants or cafes; the router could be configured improperly; or a number of other things could go wrong in a minute. Practice caution every time you're on a public network, or you can even use a VPN to access it, which will put you out of danger's way.

Take care of your apps

Just like passwords act as an entrance to your phone, apps act like a backdoor — nobody pays attention to them until the enemy walks right in. Though this metaphor is a bit exaggerated, you get the point. Apps should always be downloaded from a trusted source. Don't play around with shady downloads that can bring nothing but trouble.

Also, whenever downloading an app, take a good look to what exactly will the app have access to. All your data, no matter how insignificant it is to you, is confidential nonetheless, so you should strictly follow every app's access. If something looks dodgy, simply don't download it.

Your smartphone's security isn't that difficult to upgrade, all you need to do is invest a bit of time and willingness to do so. With so much danger on every step of our web path, we should do what we can to protect what is rightfully ours and take precautions beforehand, rather than mending the damage after it's already been done.