Top tips in keeping your tech gadgets safe

Rewind to the 90’s and you’ll find that many households mainly used a landline, had one family computer if they were lucky and the only ‘tablets’ in the house were stored in the medicine cabinet.

Yet today, most 21st century households have more tech devices in their home than they can count on both hands. From mobile phones to laptops, tablets, smart watches and the numerous other smart devices and gaming consoles available. With all of these interconnected devices, protecting both your family and your gadgets has never been so important.

Let’s take a look at some of the top tips you can do to keep your tech devices and their users safe…

  1. Use a case

One of the best ways to prevent frequently occurring accidents like spilling liquids on a device or dropping them on the floor is to use a case. A case is your first line of defense in preventing screen cracks, batteries getting dented and water damage inside the device.

Luckily, these days most devices come with reinforced glass and a certain amount of water resistance. That being said, it’s not advisable to test the capacity of your devices. If you’re out and about, Solo NY offers a great tech bag as a solution to moving your gadgets around. With military grade velcro and lots of compartments, zips and padding, it’s ideal for moving your equipment about if you’re travelling or simply for day to day activities between work and school.

  1. Insurance

Insuring your gadgets can be expensive, especially when you have a lot of them. Yet many insurance companies have adapted to this challenge and are now able to offer different insurance policies that meet the need of the 21st century user. For example, some insurance companies cover different tech devices under home insurance policies such as homeowners that not only insures your home but also includes laptop insurance too.

From family and multi-device deals, to added travel protection, extended damage cover and much more, it really is worth looking into insuring your gadgets as it will save you money in the long run.

‘But I have a warranty for that’, we hear you say. Most warranties will only cover the item if the damage was a fault of the manufacturer and not from accidental damage. Just invested in the latest iPad Air? It’s really not worth chancing it as you’d probably be gutted if anything happened to it.

  1. Cybersecurity Considerations

Not all threats to your gadgets are physical. Each year, millions of cyber-attacks take place in the form of phishing scams in seemingly harmless emails, malware and ransomware attacks where owners are held to ransom in order to recover their data.

One of the best ways to protect both your family and your gadgets from cyber-attacks is to ensure you have adequate security installed on your device. When using the internet, try connecting to a VPN first to keep your browsing sessions private.

Many security companies like Norton 360 or MacKeeper now offer multiple gadget policies which make it easier than ever to protect all of your devices. This is the best solution as it means the software is working hard in the background to protect you, while you get on with the important stuff.

Additionally, choosing a device that is known to be more secure will go a long way in protecting you too. For more information on which devices stand up the best, have a read of this article on the most secure laptops.

  1. Be Travel aware

It’s so easy when you’re busy and out and about to just slip your smart phone in your back pocket or leave your bag unzipped while in a queue. Yet, there are unfortunately a number of people out there who could be tempted to take advantage of the situation and take your much-loved devices.

Simple awareness can go a long way in protecting your gadgets and prevent opportunistic thieves from taking advantage. Remember to keep your bag zipped up when out, don’t leave gadgets on show and turn on tracking apps to enable you to find your device in the event it does get lost or stolen.

Staying on top of all your gadgets in today’s environment can be a challenge. Whether it’s your kids mobile phones and tablets or your laptop that falls victim to the cat who likes to dive on to your desk when it’s precariously close to the edge, these steps will offer you a great deal of value when it comes to protecting your gadgets.

Of course, the most worry-free way to protect them is by looking into multi-gadget insurance. However, there are also a number of cost freeways above that will keep them going for a little longer.