Make Sure You Secure Your Smartphone
Do you own an iPhone, G1, Blackberry, Windows or Nokia smartphone? Fancy phones are a nice target for thieves, and unfortunately they're often packed with sensitive information that can be too easily accessed and exploited. Why not take the time this weekend to make sure it's secure?
Use the built-in security features
If your phone allows you to set a security code to turn it on or return from sleep mode, use it. Seriously, tapping in a few digits or tracing a pattern on the screen isn't that inconvenient, considering it's the easiest and cheapest way to lock a thief out of sensitive data.
On the iPhone, you can even set the device to wipe itself after 10 failed attempts to enter the correct PIN.
Phones that run Symbian (e.g. Nokia phones) have a setting that will lock the phone automatically if another SIM card is inserted.
If your phone supports auto-blind cc on emails—for example iPhones and Blackberries—turn that on so you can potentially intercept messages.
Consider installing anti-theft software
Most smartphone platforms have at least one software solution out there for tracking or remotely accessing your phone should it go missing. Finding where your phone is at the moment is only half the battle, of course; you'll still have to get the police interested in your cause, or go vigilante and try to track it down on your own. (Yes, there's the occasional crowd-sourced success story, but sadly we can't run every stolen iPhone story on the blog.)
Here are some sample anti-theft and tracking apps for phones. Some of them are free, some cost up to $25. We're sure there's more, and we're not endorsing anything—this list is just to help you out if you have no idea what to look for. Also, before you buy an app, make sure it's not offering functionality that's built-in to your device already.
Note that apps can't run in the background, so any app-based security is inherently insecure on the iPhone platform—it will only be effective if you train yourself to re-launch the app every time you stop using another app.
Android G1
Blackberry
Windows Mobile
Symbian/Nokia
If it's really expensive, consider adding it to your insurance
Some smartphones are such an investment—especially if you buy them unlocked and unsubsidized—that it may be worth your peace of mind to see whether you can add the phone to your homeowner's or renter's insurance. Check out this post for details.
Make it easy for someone to contact you
If you follow our advice above and do everything you can to lock others out of your phone, you'll also effectively prevent any Good Samaritan from being able to reach you to return the phone.
If your phone has a wallpaper or background image that displays when the phone is locked, consider adding an email address to the image—sort of the digital equivalent of a bookplate or luggage tag. (If you're completely inept with graphics programs, we found a free 99 cents app called Wallpaper Maker on the iPhone store that will slap your contact info on your wallpaper for you.) You can also add something like that to custom skins you might apply to your device. If you have a case, put a label on the inside of it.
(Photo: AMagill)
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Comments:
Oh, and it's free. Send a text message to your phone and it will reply back with the GPS coordinates of where it is.
What is the free iphone app that was mentioned?
Is there a method of reverse GeoTracking so that if you lose your phone, you can track its location via Twitter? Of course, I guess you can only do that if whoever has your phone turns on the app to twitter your GPS location.
Some sort of service like TrackItBack might help with making it easier for people to give the phone back to you - plus the reward is good encouragement.
Great advice, and I'll be linking to this page in the free e-book I'm writing on smartphones and business risk. Thanks!
I actually just lost my WinMo phone night before last while making the mad dash 1 minute before the last train home left the station. Once I got home and realized what had happened, I logged on to my exchange server, sent a remote wipe command, then called up verizon and had the phone turned off, and finally hit up asurion for a replacement which should be arriving sometime today.
After we ran a story about a stolen iPhone, I started having mine BCC on emails and turned on the PIN to wake from sleep. After a couple days it doesn't feel like a bother to enter a code every time you wake it, plus if you set the double-click Home button to pop up iTunes, you can control playback without having to enter the security code.
If you're going to turn on the option to wipe the iPhone after enough failed login attempts, make sure your friends aren't the kind who think it's funny to repeatedly enter the wrong code in your phone when you've left the room. Jerks.
If your iPhone (or other phone for that matter) uses the Exchange connection for email, etc. you can do a remote wipe via the Exchange server.
Doesn't necessarily kill the phone, but it removes all your email, contacts and other Exchange-based information.
@pmathews: There's a few out there, but the two that I know of are called "If Found" and Wallpaper Labeler Free. There's a third but I can't seem to find it anymore.
The times I could lose it, (out on town, movie, bar, cab,) I would never have it locked. But I do have a "lost phone" contact going to my work and significant other.
Also inside the iPhone between protective cover I have a friendly note with my details and email, and an offer for a reward and my great thanks to anyone who finds and returns it.
I think most people are pretty decent, and if I found a phone with a funny little note begging for its return I'd try and help...
The downside to using GPS as a locating function for you G1 is if you walk around with it enabled, it owns your battery. So if you lose your phone, you better notice soon.
Unless there's some app out there that I'm unawares of that will conserve battery life? It would be great if somebody wrote an app that turned GPS on when you sent a specific string of words in a text message, and replied with the phone's current location...
For Blackberry there are few more options.
There's BerryLocator, which is a simple 'wait for keyword via email or SMS' system that sends it's location back to you.
There's a new service called SmrtGuard(.com, not mispelled) in beta that backs up your pertinant data and lets you get a GPS fix on the berry, even track it's movements or wipe it remotely.
I'm still waiting for an option that let's me dispatch ninjas.
The iPhone got the 10 incorrect password attempts -> wipe from Blackberries, BTW.
For Windows Mobile I would recommend Flexilis. Its a security app that allows you to track and remotely destroy your date. It also provides wireless back ups and some other security measures like virus scanning and firewalls.
Warning to those browsing at work: the website for "Get It Back" immediately loads a Flash video with someone beating loudly on a drum kit. I refuse to browse such sites.
I have the security lock enabled on my iPhone. I also have the splash image that's displayed include my e-mail address & home phone, and a promise of $10 to anybody who finds the phone.
I like to use the app IF Found for my iPhone. It lets you make custom back grounds for your phone that will put contact info on the front start up screen. I have my home phone and a email address so maybe by some chance if someone found it they would try and get a hold of me. It was a free download but I think now they charge a buck for it.
@shepd: And Blackberry (which I own a 8900) got it's 10 error wipe from spy novels / IT practices.
Too bad it doesn't explode or gas the theif.
I'm not sure of the wisdom of adding a cell phone that only costs a few hundred dollars to a home owners policy. My understanding is that applying for too many claims can get your policy flagged or possibly blackballed.
On my iPod Touch background I put "Password protected, Reward if found, Call XXX" If they know about computers they can hard reset to iTunes and use it, but they won't be able to get my data. Most people that would find it on the street probably wouldn't go through all that trouble and just try for the reward I think (hope).
@notsobittybuddha: I also found one called Wallpaper Maker. I added it to the post. However, it's not free.
@Alex Chasick: Security codes FTW, especially if you use the browser on your phone and save login info on it. If someone can access your phone's browser, they can use bookmarks or history to access any accounts where your login is saved.
@hypnotik_jello: But what about a $500-700 smartphone? That's not unheard of, especially if you buy a feature-packed, unsubsidized model. At that point, it's crossing over into notebook/PC/TV territory, and might be worth consideration.
I work w/ lost & found at a small/medium size airport. I've only found one laptop and one phone (in a year) that were password protected. And very few, 10% or less, have any emergency contact information (ICE). It's a real PITA reuniting some of these devices with their owners. It doesn't take long at all to add your own contact information.
Blackberries also erase all the information if the incorrect password is entered 10 times (not just the iPhone). If you are using a Blackberry Enterprise server, your IT department can wipe it remotely too. Most other smartphones have third party applications available that will wipe data remotely as well.
Orbicule's "Undercover" for the iPhone also works.
The app of the same name from Orbicule (for Mac) is awesome. I expect their iPhone app to be even better with os3.0 & the eventual face-facing camera (for crook head-shots)
^_^
@Chris Walters: If your homeowner's deductible is low enough to make filing a claim on a $500 smartphone worthwhile, you're probably paying too much for your insurance.
I have done this on my Blackberry Curve. When it is locked (which happens after 2 mins of inactivity), there is a message saying, "Property of dohtem. If found, please call XXX-XXXX [home phone number] or email me@email or return to any T-Mobile store."
I also sync all my data with Outlook and run the blackberry backup tool regularly.
If I lose the phone, oh well, but I can't afford to have the data fall into the wrong hands.
Palm? Or are they just too passé?
Also make sure that if you have a "pattern key," like on the G!, that you wipe off the screen after entering it, since it can probably be figured out by the tracings in the oils on the screen.
Combined with a pin lock, sim lock, screen autolock with key, internal memory and microSD encryption, Nokia Symbian devices also have a remote kill command.
I'm INEPT! INEPT!!!!
I second the earlier comment about using Flexilis (flexilis.com) on Windows mobile devices, the remote wipe and alarm and locate functions are awesome, and the data protection/sync is pretty cool as well, I think they are expanding their beta to iphone and android pretty soon too. really neat security app though.
nueGPS is awesome for those of you with WinMo.