According to a news study from Consumer Report, 39 percent of the more than 100 million American adult Smartphone owners neglect to add basic security measures, such as using a screen-lock, backing up data, or installing an app to locate a missing phone or remotely wipe its data.
This is astounding, given that smartphone are basically mobile PCs (albeit, with less power and storage) containing important personal information.
The study illustrates that at least 7.1 million Smartphones were damaged, lost, or stolen and not recovered last year. Despite this, only 69 percent of Smartphone users hadn’t backed up their data, including photos and contacts. And just 22 percent had installed software that could locate their lost phone.
“When you take your Smartphone into your confidence, so to speak, you’re also taking in a host of parties, including app developers, your wireless carrier and phone manufacturer, mobile advertisers, and the maker of your phone’s operating system,” said Jeff Fox , Technology Editor, Consumer Reports. “We recommend that all smart phone users take the basic precautions we outline in this report to ensure that their phones are secure from wireless threats.”
However, the bad news just doesn’t stop here.
According to the report, there are also wireless threats of malicious software. With 5.6 million Smartphone users experiencing suspicious activities on their phones last year.
Here is a list of some of the basic security features Consumer Report recommends to users
- Using a strong pass code. A four-digit one, which 23 percent of users told CR that they used, is better than nothing. But on Android phones and iPhones earlier than the iPhone 5, a thief using the right software can crack such a code in 20 minutes, according to Charlie Miller , security engineer for Twitter. A longer code that includes letters and symbols is far stronger.
- Install apps cautiously. Malicious apps may not lurk around every corner, but they’re out there and can be tricky to spot. For example, CR projects that 1.6 million users had been fooled into installing what seemed to be a well-known brand-name app but was actually a malicious imposter.
- Be alert to insecure Wi-Fi. A projected 13 million users engaged in financial transactions at hot spots in hotels, retail stores, and airports last year. Before using any app to do business at a hot spot, users should check the app’s privacy policy to see whether it secures wireless transmissions of such data. Otherwise, they may disclose sensitive information to a nearby criminal.
- Turn off location tracking. Disable it except when it’s needed, such as for driving directions. Only one in three smart phone owners surveyed by CR had turned it off at times during the previous year.
Source: ConsumerReports.org
