I’ll admit it; I’m a holdout. I’m going to be one of the very last people on this planet to own a SmartPhone. I’m perfectly happy with my flip phone. You simply close it when you don’t want to be bothered, and you don’t have to worry about getting emails from work on the weekends. Another reason that I’m happy with my choice to stay old fashioned is that I don’t have to worry about thieves accessing my personal information through my phone. Why? I don’t have any personal information on it, unless you count a photo of my dog. If you have a SmartPhone, though, you should read the following information to protect your data.
According to Ted Samson of Infoworld, many popular mobile apps for the iPhone and iPad, including Facebook, Dropbox and LinkedIn, allow unauthorized users to access them since they save authentication data in plain text files that are not encrypted. If the data is transferred to another device, such as a laptop computer, a thief can steal that information and use it to log in to the accounts and impersonate the legitimate user. He or she will not have to know the login name or password.
Security researcher Gareth Wright attested that the flaw is not limited to the three apps mentioned above, but could actually be present in dozens of other mobile apps, if not more. Those most at risk are individuals who plug their phones into computers in unsecure areas, such as at the library or in a college dorm. It is never a good idea to allow your information to be downloaded to a public computer – or a private computer that is used by more than one person.
Wright advised that SmartPhone users who wish to continue using these apps put a password on their phones that is longer than the traditional four numbers. He also asserted that they should leave their phones locked when they are plugged in and use the Find My iPhone function if they have it.
It is unclear whether this same security flaw is present in apps with other operating systems, such as the Android. Even if it isn’t, it’s a good idea to follow the tips above. Another thing you can do with your SmartPhone is purchase an identity theft protection service. Just make sure to do so securely as well.