Imagine your life without that little device sitting on your desk or bag or pocket right now. It's small, lights up, and keeps you entertained while waiting for the doctor. But, what if your mobile phone was lost or stolen? Have you thought about the power that is contained in a trinket the size of your hand? A person could have access to your Facebook and Twitter and email--oh my!
Though, it could be far worse. Do you have your company's Facebook page linked to your phone? How about their Twitter account? Or, the email addresses to all of your important business clients? Talk about possible social ruin.
For IOS devices, in addition to the ability to locate your device, Find My iPhone (on iCloud) can pinpoint your missing device on a map, have it play a sound, or display a message asking anyone who finds it to contact you. “If you don’t find your device right away, you can help protect your information until you get it back with the Remote Lock feature, or use Remote Wipe to erase your personal data from your device and protect your privacy,” Apple adds.
Use the simple security mechanisms that come with your phone to secure your phone with a password/passcode. Set it to automatically lock within a few minutes. A hacker can still restore your iPhone to the original factory settings to remove the passcode. However, restoring also means erasing all data that was saved on your phone.
In the end, he may get the phone, but you keep your data. Facebook status: "A social-life-wreck avoided by the passcode. Just another Monday."
If you've come to realize that your mobile phone is gone for good, call your wireless provider. Even if you remotely wipe your device, it will still be connected to cell service with the ability to send texts or make calls. Your service provider can disable the phone and prevent others from using the device...and possibly running up your phone bill.
Facebook status: "You win some. You lose some."
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A little pre-planning can give you piece of mind if you phone is ever AWOL. Don't forget about the power that is contained in your tiny device. And remember that every time you set it down in a public spot.
Remember: Your phone is not just a cute, trendy device you use to make calls. It's a mini-computer with powerful data. Keep that data out of the wrong hands!
1. Preemptive Strike
There are a number of free apps that will help you to locate your phone in case it goes missing one day. This way, you will know if you should stay cool or hit the panic button. Maybe it'll be on the table of that cute little restaurant you like to frequent for lunch. Or, maybe it'll be sitting on the desk of a menacing teen about to ruin your day: Facebook status: "It's gonna get ugly."
Simply load the apps and authorize them to use your GPS functionality:
Where's My Droid for Android
iCloud for Apple devices
2. Set a password/passcode
Use the simple security mechanisms that come with your phone to secure your phone with a password/passcode. Set it to automatically lock within a few minutes. A hacker can still restore your iPhone to the original factory settings to remove the passcode. However, restoring also means erasing all data that was saved on your phone.
In the end, he may get the phone, but you keep your data. Facebook status: "A social-life-wreck avoided by the passcode. Just another Monday."
3. Cut your losses
If you've come to realize that your mobile phone is gone for good, call your wireless provider. Even if you remotely wipe your device, it will still be connected to cell service with the ability to send texts or make calls. Your service provider can disable the phone and prevent others from using the device...and possibly running up your phone bill.
Facebook status: "You win some. You lose some."
--
A little pre-planning can give you piece of mind if you phone is ever AWOL. Don't forget about the power that is contained in your tiny device. And remember that every time you set it down in a public spot.
