If people carrying a smartphone got their pocket picked, the thieves could be in for more of a treat than they might hope for, according to an IT security product company. Kaspersky Lab points to how people are leaving their devices – and the increasing amount of precious data on them – accessible to anyone.
Many people as the firm says rely on their mobile devices to access the internet and carry out online activities, so losing a device to petty crime is potentially more damaging and upsetting than ever. For example, 68 per cent of individuals say they regularly use the Internet on a smartphone (up from 60pc in 2016) and 34pc now regularly use a tablet to get online.
Several types of precious data are being stored on, and sent from, these gadgets, according to the cyber firm. For example, for in ten (40pc) of people use their smartphone for online banking, which of course provides access to valuable financial information, and nearly 59pc of people regularly use their smartphone for accessing their personal email accounts and over half (53pc) say they use it for social media activities, both of which involve a huge quantity of sensitive data.
But having a lot of precious data on their mobile devices doesn’t necessarily make people conscious and secure – just over half (53pc) of people password-protect their mobile devices and just 14pc of people encrypt their files and folders to avoid unauthorised access. So, if these devices fall into the wrong hands, all of this data – from personal accounts, to photos, messages and even financial details – could become accessible to someone else, the cyber firm warns.
Even losing devices that are protected with passwords can still have significant consequences. For example, one in three (33pc) of people make backups of their data and only one in five, 20pc use anti-theft features on their mobile devices, meaning that these devices’ ex-owners may experience a lack of access to their own personal information and accounts, says Kaspersky.
David Mole, Head of Retail at Kaspersky Lab says: “Connected devices are an integral part of our modern lives, giving us access to any information, from anywhere, at any time – thus they are high value, and therefore highly sought-after by cyber-criminals. If we don’t password-protect our phones, we make it a lot easier for criminals to access our data. By applying a password, and using a dedicated security solution, including anti-theft protection, we can protect our personal information, photos and online accounts from both loss and malicious usage.”
