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What Are The Risks Of A Lost Or Stolen Mobile Device?

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Have you ever thought about what would happen if you lost your mobile phone? These days we rely on our mobile phones more than ever. For a lot of us, it can also be a nightmare if it’s lost, stolen or hacked, especially since today it’s become our most personal computer,

But despite the fact that 1/2 of of us would rather lose our wallet than our mobile phone, only 4% of us have taken steps to protect our mobile device with security.

For most of us, our first reaction when we lose our wallet is I have to cancel my credits cards, get a new license, etc. When we lose our phones, we think about the pain and cost of replacing the device. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

We don’t realize that our photos, emails, text messages and our apps can be an open door for thieves into our personal information, privacy and financial accounts.

And the time to replace your smartphone and its contents can consume as much as 18 hours of your life.

Mobile devices are on the move, meaning they can more easily be lost or stolen and their screens and keyboards are easier targets for “over the shoulder” browsing. Below are some tips to protect you and your device.

Never leave your phone unattended in a public place

Put a password on your mobile and set it to auto-lock after a certain period of time.

If you use online banking and shopping sites, always log out and don’t select the “remember me” function

Use mobile device protection that provides anti-theft which can backup and restore the information on your phone, as well as remotely locate it and wipe data in the case of loss or theft, as well as antivirus and web and app protection.

Robert Siciliano is an Online Security Evangelist to McAfee. Watch him discussing information he found on used electronic devices YouTube. (Disclosures)

Is There A Risk With Using My Personal Device For Work?

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The day after you get your shiny new mobile or tablet, chances are you’ll take it right to work and request the IT department to set it up with your work email and allow access to the company network. “Bring your own device” (BYOD) has become widely adopted to refer to workers bringing their personal mobile devices, such as smartphones, tablets and PDAs, into the workplace for use and connectivity.

Many of us need a mobile device for work and personal use and don’t want to carry two separate devices, but this can cause security challenges for the company. If you lose your mobile device while on vacation, let your kid download an app which infects your phone and starts spamming your address book, or someone accesses your company email while you’re using a public Wi-Fi connection, this can have big implications for your company in terms of a data breach, loss of intellectual property, public embarrassment and annoyance.

That’s why mobile security should be a priority for both you and your employer. As an increasing number of companies agree to this, they are also requiring you to agree to their terms as well. So you should expect to have to comply with some things like:

You may required to download and install a security and monitoring app that can’t be removed. This app may have a certificate authenticating you and the device to connect to the company network and run company programs.

The installed app will likely provide your company with the ability to remotely control your mobile at some level. I wouldn’t be concerned about this unless of course you’re not abiding by the agreement you signed.

At a minimum, expect the application to have the ability to locate your mobile via the phone’s GPS if it’s lost or stolen, as well as an autolock functionality requiring you to lock your phone locally after 1-5 minutes of downtime. Also, your employer will likely be able to wipe your mobile of any and all data..

Because your employer is liable for potentially lost data, if you BYOD, plan on giving up some liberties.

Robert Siciliano is an Online Security Evangelist to McAfee. Watch him discussing information he found on used electronic devices YouTube. (Disclosures)