Mobile phones are more than just communication devices. With convergence of technology, a smart phone today is what we use to check email, perform bank transactions, and much more. It is akin to your personal diary or wallet. And something personal as that deserves more attention. And we say this because some Bangaloreans have faced the brunt of leaving their phones unattended.
A senior official in the Karnataka government who did not wish to be named said, “My secretary was using my phone to make unnecessary calls and sending messages. It was when I got a reply that I came to know about it.” Rohit Singh, an MNC employee said, “Once I had kept my phone on my desk and went for a break. When I came back and wanted to make a call, I realised that my friends played a prank on me and emptied my balance. Although it was done in a jovial manner, I was annoyed.”
Speaking to City Express, Prabhakar from the cyber crime department in Bangalore said, “The only way to track the misuse of someone’s cell phones is to get the call details from the telecom company. One can file a complaint with the local police station only after producing the documents.
If phone calls or messages are sent to unknown numbers, the details of the number will be intact, however, the content will not be known until and unless it is not deleted.”
How to secure your phone:
Every phone comes with a lock password option. Choose a secure password which you can easily remember but something your associates/friends can’t crack. Some phones now come with a face-unlock feature, if you have this, there is no reason why you should not be using it.
To increase the efficacy of your phone lock, opt for automatic locking after a few seconds. Do not set it to the manual mode, because we know how forgetful we are.
Remember that your phone is as personal and important as your wallet, keep it on your body at all times. If you do leave it somewhere, here are some apps that will help you to remotely lockdown your phone and if necessary erase all data.
The Avast Free Mobile Security app includes anti-malware and anti-theft features, along with browsing protection that prompts you if you visit a malicious website.
In addition to these basic features it also allows you to remotely lock and wipe all data by sending a message with a passphrase.
AVG Mobilation Anti-Virus Freeapp comes with an app locker that password protects individual apps. If you have banking or other apps that store sensitive data, then this is a must have.
‘Where’s my droid’ is an app you can depend on when you have misplaced your phone, no matter if it is on vibrate or silent. You can text a secret “attention” word to the phone from any other phone.
This will instantaneously activate the app’s find-me mode, which switches the phone from vibrate to ringer, cranks the volume, and makes it ring and makes the screen and the flashlight blink for 30 seconds. Alternatively, it has a GPS mode which will give you the exact latitute/longitute location of your phone.