Steamy Sexts Get Leaked 60% of the Time

McAfee released the study Love, Relationships, and Technology: When Private Data Gets Stuck in the Middle of a Breakup, which examines at the pitfalls of sharing personal data in relationships and discloses how breakups can lead to exposure of private data.

Nearly two-thirds of smartphone owners have personal and intimate information (such as revealing photos, bank account information, passwords, and credit cards) on their mobile devices, yet only 40% have password protection on their devices, leaving a huge gap in personal data protection.

The study shows that 94% of Americans believe their data and revealing photos are safe in the hands of their partners. However, 28% of people regretted sending that personal information and 10% of people have been threatened by their exes that they would expose risqué photos online.

Breakups are rarely, if ever, feel good events left on good terms. But we don’t have to make them worse by potentially having our private data open to being exposed for all to see.

 

To make sure you keep your private date private, you should follow these tips:

Don’t share your passwords

Make sure you have lock devices (especially your mobile) with a PIN

Delete any intimate photos/videos on your mobile device

Don’t share photos or videos that you don’t want your grandma seeing

If you’ve shared passwords, change them immediately

Remember the adage that whatever you post online is there forever

Robert Siciliano is an Online Security Expert to McAfee. He is the author of 99 Things You Wish You Knew Before Your Mobile was Hacked!  Disclosures.