Monday 29 October 2012

Security Advice For Smartphones

By Tanisha Mauzy


In the space of just a few short years cellphone technology has taken several major jumps forwards in terms of both the features and the technology behind those features. Once upon a time cell phones were just used to make phone calls and send text messages but now they've progressed to the point where they offer the same features and functions as a small laptop computer.

This progress has meant that smartphones have become progressively more expensive which means they're now becoming a target of choice for many thieves. When it comes to what thieves are choosing to steal from gym lockers now, smartphones are being stolen more often than people's wallets and this is just because they're very easy to sell both online and offline and most people will never question where their cheap cell phone actually came from.

So the smart move here is to take steps to make sure your smartphone is as safe as it possibly can be from thieves. You see if you make something difficult to steal then thieves will generally lose interest and look somewhere else for an easier "mark". Sure you might have a pretty comprehensive insurance policy right now but that doesn't mean you should ignore the security basics for your phone.

The first thing you need to do is enable the GPS feature on your smartphone because this can make it a lot easier for you to track it down if and when it does get stolen. Most people don't realize that your cell phone provider has a security team who can track down the location of any active cell phone based on which cell phone tower/mast it's currently being used near - just like in the movies.

The vast majority of smartphones will have Bluetooth built-in and this is a feature you should disable unless you're using it on a regular basis - thieves can use your Bluetooth signal to both hack into and track down the location of your cell phone.

We'd also suggest adding some encryption software to your cell phone because it means your most sensitive information is protected before your phone is stolen. We use and recommend an app called "Vault" because it's very good at hiding data and unless your thief is a technical wizard the encrypted data on your phone will never be accessible to them.

If you truly value your mobile phone then you should consider adding a remote tracking and monitoring application to it because these allow you to check all text messages on the phone, the call history including all numbers and even any images sent to or received by your stolen cell phone and the thief will never know what you're doing. The most advanced types of remote monitoring software can even use the phone's GPS signal and Google maps to give you a precise location to send the cops to collect your stolen property.

The theft of cell phones is getting worse by the day so it's important that you take steps right now to keep your phone safe. If you wait until your phone is stolen it's already too late!




About the Author:



No comments: