Think about your smartphone. When you use your PIN to log into your device (let’s presume you do), you start up your favourite apps. You check your email, you browse through Facebook or Instagram or Twitter… but think about how you start up those apps. Are you just clicking the icon and immediately browsing? If so, a thief could do the same.
While a standard PIN may offer some protection to your data, it is not infallible. A simple 4-digit PIN can by bypassed by a determined thief. And the truth is that only 36% of owners use a PIN.
Aside from all the other valuable data you store on your phone – personal information, phones, possible banking information, business information – the ability to access your social media accounts can cause you personal harm, if not leading to the information a determined thief needs to commit identity theft or fraud.
A woman in Longview recently had her smartphone stolen and has discovered that staying logged in to her accounts was a bad idea. The thief used her iTunes account to “take and display lewd pictures of women” and other inappropriate materials. The photos are automatically uploading and displaying, despite the fact that the victim had a new phone and phone number.
What harm could a thief do to your personal reputation by abusing your social media accounts? Your bank accounts? Your corporate network access?
We recommend as part of your smartphone security that you protect your data with the following actions:
- Set up a more complex PIN
- Install software that can remotely delete data
- Do not auto-save passwords for apps, even if logging back in is annoying
- Learn how you can prevent mobile theft