Ahoy, Matey! It's National Pirate Day, and Trademore is here to explain a few key phrases that'll have you ready to take to the high seas. Some definitions even include useful advice and tips to protect your phone and data from being hornswoggled by modern-day cyber buccaneers who hack or steal phones.
Avast – Stop or hold still. This is a reminder to pay attention to those pop-up permissions your phone bothers you with. Don't be afraid to deny apps. By limiting their access to your phone (things like allowing them to run in the background, track your positions with GPS or access your camera and photos), you can limit your exposure.
Aye – An affirmative answer; yes. Back to those app permissions for a second. If you had a habit of always answering aye to new apps, you can always change them after the fact. It's something worth checking periodically no matter what. Consult the settings on your phone to see what you're allowing. Some apps even have additional permissions within their settings, especially social media platforms. Be sure to check there too.
Cutlass – The short, curved sword that was the side weapon of choice for pirates. Its stout stature made it good for close combat, and it was a useful tool used similarly to a machete. In the cyber world, personal data has become weaponized, whether it's individual identity theft or large-scale ransomware attacks, underscoring the importance of data security.
Booty – The goods and riches seized by pirates. In the context of today, that could be anything from the phones themselves or all that data that they contain. Protect your phone (and your booty) at all times.
Davey Jones' Locker – The briny deep; the bottom of the ocean; where shipwrecks, plank-walkers and deceased sailors spend eternity. When it comes to phone protection, your data is forever too, or at least you should think of it that way. Always be mindful of what you put out there and where you're submitting sensitive information.
Jolly Roger – The classic black flag with skull and crossbones or crossed cutlasses associated with pirates. The flag was often used to signify intent when a ship was set to raid another vessel, giving the victim a chance to surrender without a skirmish. There are no such warnings when it comes to protecting your phone, another reminder to remain diligent.
Old Salt – And old man or woman who has been at sea for many years. If your phone is starting to slow down like an old salt, consider a new-to-you phone from Trademore. And if you trade or sell your device as part of the transaction, you can rest easy knowing we don't sell or share any of your information.
Swab (the deck) – To mop or scrub the ship, a task given to low-ranking crewmembers. It's important to clean your phone before you change devices, whether you're selling it to Trademore or giving it to someone else, to ensure your data is wiped and inaccessible to the next owner. You can get a quick guide in our blog post about preparing your phone for trade-in.
Thar – There. When in doubt, just throw that "arr" sound into similar sounding words to make yourself sound more pirate-y. When you're in doubt about your phone performance, just restart it. This may not be a way to protect your phone, but restarting closes background apps and may help resolve signal issues with calls, messages and data.
There are plenty more terms we could detail on National Talk Like A Pirate Day, but half the fun of being a pirate is doing whatever you want. Happy swashbuckling!
Trademore has no connections, affiliations, partnerships or sponsorship agreements with the companies, entities, services and/or products mentioned in this blog post. The opinions, thoughts, views and expressions made within this blog post are independently created by and attributable to Trademore authors and/or contributors.