Tips to Smartphone Security

Smartphones like the IPhone are actually mini computers. As well as running Apps they are designed to carry a wide range of personal and business information, like birthday details, parents names, addresses and internet login links. All this data would be very valuable to a criminal were they to get their hands on your smartphone. Considering how easily an IPhone can be left in a cab, on a bar stool, or mysteriously disappear from your pocket...it’s a good idea to ensure you properly safeguard your mobile and information.

Prevention is better than cure, so take a quick look at some things you can do to protect your phone.

• Lock it. All Phones have security features, so check the manual and turn them on;
• Don’t save passwords or PIN as contacts and never store passwords on your smartphone;
• Be careful with Wi-Fi — try to only use encrypted networks and set your phone up to request confirmation before connecting to a new network;
• Be sure to always do online banking over a trusted network;
• Delete all data from an old phone before recycling or throwing it away;
• If you have really valuable information on your mobile phone register your phone with a consumer find/wipe service. These services can locate a missing phone or wipe all your saved data if it’s not coming home. Google MobileMe, for an example of this service.

If you stop to think about it, the information you store on your smartphone is probably more valuable than the smartphone itself. While we are all enjoying the capabilities of these new devices, it’s worth taking the time to protect the information you store on them.