Protect cell phone data from skimmers

Not enough info in your question. Lots of ways to get the data on your phone.

If you put on popular apps from facebook, such as Whatsapp, they skim it directly.

Personally, I use a cell phone as a "burner" phone with nothing important on it. I believe the Iphone with the Digital Wallet is fairly secure, the Android version, less so.

I bought a faraday bag from Amazon, but I am interested in finding "something" that will prevent data skimming while I am using the phone.

I will bet a whole bunch of people here won’t like this answer but here is my two cents. If you use your phone only for calls and texts, and not for browsing, email , and “ “apps”, doing those actions on a computer, your phone should be safe as there would be nothing to skim other than a few phone numbers. Yes, old tech, but it works.

That's what I meant by a "burner" phone.

And a Faraday bag doesn't prevent "data skimming". It prevents Cellphone signals and Bluetooth signals from getting in or out of the bag. You need a vulnerability in those Protocols to have a problem. Or if you just don't want the cell phone tracked.

"Skimmers" read data off Credit card chips and RFID tags.

edit: Skimmers reading Credit card chips was (as far as I know) only the early ones. They were basically jumped up RFID tags with a couple of circuits. The newer chips with encryption don't have that problem.

I think you may be worrying about a problem which doesn't exist Angie.

I'm not sure what purpose a Faraday bag would serve, other than to make sure you can't get any calls, texts or data usage while your phone is in it. I'd tend to think that reduces the utility of carrying a mobile phone at all.

Actually, data skimming is a real and growing risk.
Subscribe to a VPN to use when accessing public Wi-Fi.
Make calls and texts using WIFI Calling with your home SIM.
Use an eSim for data rather than public WiFi
Use your own charger and cables for charging, not USB ports in hotel rooms.
If in a dodgy country, don't let anyone take your phone to inspect it.
Use WhatsApp for messaging & calls
If you find a cable that someone has "accidentally" lost, don't use it. This is the latest thing

Pack your tinfoil hat for added protection.

edit: that's a bit what Americans might call "snarky" :)

I think you need to keep the scale of the risk in perspective. Some of the above sounds like good practice, but yeah, I don't know anyone that has had their phone compromised through not doing any of the things you mention Yarramar. Do you?

For relatively new phones, iPhones or Android, the majority of data on the phone is encrypted. End-to-end encryption may depend on the app being used. You are far more likely to be hacked by social engineering - where you're tricked into giving up a password and granting a hacker access to an app, rather than skimming by being in close proximity. Be sure to enable a passcode, facial or touch ID to lock your phone.

edit: Me waffling about the pros and cons of VPNs is a bit off topic.

Carry on!

"If in a dodgy country, don't let anyone take your phone to inspect it."

I have no idea how a whole country can be "dodgy" ;)

But seriously, when traveling, use your phone in the same way you would at home. Don't share passwords and PINs, and if you really are concerned about public wifi, use network data instead.

Angie G, what do you do with your phone at home? Have you had a problem with data skimmers?

If you are going to or returning to a country with a dictator you might want to keep the phone clean of photos or messages which could be interpreted as anti that dictator. Otherwise you may wind up disappearing.