In the space of just a few short years cellphone technology has taken several major jumps forwards in terms of both the features and the technology behind those features. Once upon a time cell phones were just used to make phone calls and send text messages but now they've progressed to the point where they offer the same features and functions as a small laptop computer.
All of this progress has come at a price however because smartphones are now retailing for several hundred dollars which makes them targets for thieves. In fact smartphones are now being targeted in gyms and on the street more than wallets simply because they're more valuable most of the time and they're also easy enough to sell through a few free online ads, very few people want to know or care where that cheap cell phone came from.
So based on this it's important that you take steps to make sure that your cell phone is protected against theft. The harder you make it to steal and sell your mobile phone the less likely thieves are to take it in the first place. Having your phone insured is no excuse for not taking a few simple steps in terms of keeping your mobile phone secure.
Your smartphone probably has a GPS feature built into it and if so then it's a good idea to enable it because it can help you quickly find your phone if and when it gets stolen. Most cell phone providers also have the ability to actually track down your mobile phone using the same triangulation techniques (using masts and cell towers) you see in the movies but they won't do this unless you get the police involved.
The vast majority of smartphones will have Bluetooth built-in and this is a feature you should disable unless you're using it on a regular basis - thieves can use your Bluetooth signal to both hack into and track down the location of your cell phone.
Installing encryption software on your cellphone right now is a great idea because you can never be sure if or when your phone could be stolen. One of our favorite pieces of encryption and security software for Android smartphones is called "Vault" and unless your thief is technically adept they'll never be able to find the encrypted data on that phone.
You do always have the choice of installing some advanced tracking software on your phone too that will allow you to remotely monitor all the calls made on the phone, any text messages sent from it and any pictures sent or received from the phone - imagine being able to see the face of the thief! On top of that if your GPS feature is enabled you'll be able to use Google maps to track the phone down to the exact street the thief is living on, or the person who bought the stolen phone from them.
Cell phone theft is exploding right now so it's important that you take steps to protect your phone. After all there's no point in waiting until your phone is stolen to try protecting it right?
All of this progress has come at a price however because smartphones are now retailing for several hundred dollars which makes them targets for thieves. In fact smartphones are now being targeted in gyms and on the street more than wallets simply because they're more valuable most of the time and they're also easy enough to sell through a few free online ads, very few people want to know or care where that cheap cell phone came from.
So based on this it's important that you take steps to make sure that your cell phone is protected against theft. The harder you make it to steal and sell your mobile phone the less likely thieves are to take it in the first place. Having your phone insured is no excuse for not taking a few simple steps in terms of keeping your mobile phone secure.
Your smartphone probably has a GPS feature built into it and if so then it's a good idea to enable it because it can help you quickly find your phone if and when it gets stolen. Most cell phone providers also have the ability to actually track down your mobile phone using the same triangulation techniques (using masts and cell towers) you see in the movies but they won't do this unless you get the police involved.
The vast majority of smartphones will have Bluetooth built-in and this is a feature you should disable unless you're using it on a regular basis - thieves can use your Bluetooth signal to both hack into and track down the location of your cell phone.
Installing encryption software on your cellphone right now is a great idea because you can never be sure if or when your phone could be stolen. One of our favorite pieces of encryption and security software for Android smartphones is called "Vault" and unless your thief is technically adept they'll never be able to find the encrypted data on that phone.
You do always have the choice of installing some advanced tracking software on your phone too that will allow you to remotely monitor all the calls made on the phone, any text messages sent from it and any pictures sent or received from the phone - imagine being able to see the face of the thief! On top of that if your GPS feature is enabled you'll be able to use Google maps to track the phone down to the exact street the thief is living on, or the person who bought the stolen phone from them.
Cell phone theft is exploding right now so it's important that you take steps to protect your phone. After all there's no point in waiting until your phone is stolen to try protecting it right?
About the Author:
If you really like your smartphone then you should be learning more about cellphone security and which applications you can use. Check out some information here: http://cpusecurity.com/blog/