While there are many issues that homeowners make it their business to address, there is one major security risk in many homes that they may never consider. A homeowner’s smartphone or personal tablet often contains a great deal of personal information. Many people keep their entire address book on their phones and tablets, along with sensitive data and documents, bank information that is stored in their apps, and other personal information that could spell disaster for the owner if the device is stolen or lost. While there are some security features on most smartphones and some tablets, many owners either are not aware of them or do not use them because they don’t believe their device will ever be lost or stolen.
Ryan Whitwam, a tech contributor at , explains how homeowners who use a cellphone can protect their sensitive information from phone thieves or hackers. He recommends:
Choosing to keep people from opening your email, SMS, and file browsers is a good policy. This sort of third-party layer of protection is not fool-proof. A determined intruder that knows their way around Android could go into the Application Management interface and either kill or uninstall the app being used to lock things down. On the iOS side, you will need to be jailbroken for anything similar to work. Apps of this sort can only be obtained through Cydia.”
While some smartphone owners believe that the four-digit passcode that can be set for the phone will also protect their data, there are many thieves who specialize in getting past those codes.
Personal tablets and the sensitive data contained within them are at an even greater risk of being compromised because they usually have more available memory, which leads to users putting more information on them. Most of today’s tablets even come with detachable keyboards and word processing apps, allowing users to create documents for their jobs. However, this can be a problem, because these tablets can be left behind in public places or stolen. It is even a greater threat if users have their set up through their mobile device and then discover that it has been taken.
There are several apps available through the iOS and Android platforms that will allow users to increase their personal tablet or smartphone security, but being more aware of the risks is an important first step.
Kris Murphy
Author – Kris has been learning the ropes, but already has 4 years of industry experience working with us. He is in charge of researching our security system reviews and putting together new content for our site’s blog section.