Porn: is it HARMFUL to your phone?

Pornography is something found all over the internet, and at least one person in your household probably has a naughty picture (or two) on their phones or computer. But could the presence of porn be harmful to your smartphone or device?

According to Computer Weekly, websites that contain adult images or videos are more likely to be targets for viruses and malware.

Downloading from unfamiliar websites could place your devices at risk, and might make the unfortunate event of a smartphone hack more likely.

Could it be harmful to your phone, and what can you do to reduce the risk?

Here’s what to know about pornography and smartphones.

PORN: IS IT HARMFUL?

According to internet security provider Kaspersky, adult websites and content isn’t necessarily more harmful than other things you’d find on the internet.

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Just because you’re going to an adult website, doesn’t make you more likely to get a virus or hack. However, according to Computer Weekly, this doesn’t mean navigating through adult websites are worth less risk.

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Websites with low cybersecurity ratings, usually unfamiliar ones, could lead you straight to a virus instead of something sexy.

PORN AND SMARTPHONES

An article on PC World explains that sites containing adult content could put users at more risk.

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Malware, viruses, and hackers can take advantage of your mobile phone while your attention is distracted. If you download the wrong file from an unknown website in a hurry, you might get more than you bargained for with that download.

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Smartphone viruses can compromise your information, and sometimes hackers can even take over the entire device.

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PROTECTING YOURSELF ONLINE

Make sure that all devices in your house have their Parental Controls activated, so that anybody in the house who is too young to see adult content doesn’t find it.

Avoid storing images on your phone or computer, and trust only reliable adult sites rather than ones you can’t identify.

According to Computer Weekly, it can also protect your devices to switch to Incognito Mode before going to any adult websites or downloading content.