Protecting your smart phone

There was a time, when all your phone did was make and receive phone calls, and for some of us, that remains its purpose. For those consumers who have evolved alongside the handset, they are now confronted with a bewildering array of applications and services unheard of just a few years ago.

With that increased operability, though, comes additional vulnerability. Having that much information on your phone, such as banking features, location applications and social networks, means that losing your phone now may mean losing all of your personal information and banking details. Having all this information-personal and otherwise–in your device means your phone is also a more lucrative target for outright theft or hacking.The threats are not always easy to see. They range from the simple (such as when someone finds your phone and reads all of your Facebook and text messages) to the more complex like viruses that harvest your personal information. Here are some common security risks, with tips, tricks, and tools to combat them.Don’t lose your phone: This is not the Nokia 1200, it costs a lot of money to buy, so don’t be careless. In addition to losing your shiny new toy, you may also find your bank account has been cleaned out as well. Lock the phone: Set your phone to lock, or time out, after a certain period which will need a password to get back in. All of the major smartphone operating systems have this function. You’ll want your password to be something and easy to type since you’ll enter it frequently throughout the day, yet difficult for someone else to guess. Anything containing your name, your birthday, or a sequence as simple as ‘1234,’ are poor choices as they are the first choices of anyone trying to crack your code.Here’s how to find time-out settings on various smartphone OSs:Android: Previously, Android supported only pattern unlock (in which you draw a pattern to access the phone), but with version 2.2 of the OS, it now supports PINs and passwords. From the home screen, press Menu, Settings, Location & Security, and under Screen Unlock you’ll find many options for setting passwords. To set the screen time-out, however, you must go back to the Settings menu and this time click Display. (Hint: If you decide to go with the pattern unlock, create a complex one that crosses over itself, or someone might deduce your pattern from the repeated smudge marks on your screen). BlackBerry: From the home screen click Options, Security Options, General Settings. There you’ll see options to enable the password, set or change the password, and set the security time-out options. iOS: Earlier versions of iOS allow only for a four-digit PIN unlock code (which isn’t ideal). Luckily iOS 4 introduced the option to set a longer password. Open the Settings app, and then select General, Passcode Lock. Just above Passcode Lock is the Auto-Lock option, which controls the time-out. Windows Phone 7: Open Settings, and then select Lock and Wallpaper. From there you can set or change the password, and also set the screen time-out. If it is taken, wipe it clean: Remote wipe means that if your phone is lost or stolen, you can remotely clear all of your data–including e-mail, contacts, texts, and documents–off of the handset, thus keeping that information out of the wrong hands.Android, BlackBerry, and Windows Phone 7: If your OS is among one of these, you’re in luck, as you can find many fantastic third-party applications that allow you to remotely wipe your device. Applications exist that not only enable you to wipe your device via the Web but also lets you track a lost device through GPS, back up your data over the air, and even scan for viruses. Its basic version is free, but to enable advanced features such as remote wipe you will have to pay for a Premium account ($3 a month or $30 a year). iOS: iPhone remote wipe is a bit trickier. If you have iOS 4.2 or higher, you can simply download the Find My Phone app from the App Store, and enable it in MobileMe in the Settings app. If you lose your phone, you can log in using MobileMe via Apple’s Website to track it, display a message, or wipe it. If you have an older version of iOS, though, you’ll need a paid MobileMe account, which costs a steep $99 a year. Plus, you’ll have to enable the function by going to Settings, choosing Mail, Contacts, Calendars, and clicking Fetch New Data then Enable Push. Afterward, return to the ‘Mail, Contacts, Calendar’ screen and select your MobileMe account. There are also apps that can allow you to find your lost handset via GPS after it has been lost or stolen. *with information from thenationmultimedia.com

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