Smartphone users not protected against fraudsters

Dawinderpal Sahota, Computing, Tuesday 30 March 2010 at 17:14:00

Some 67 per cent of smartphone users not safeguarding their handset data

More than two thirds of smartphone users are failing to protect their
personal information from fraudsters, warned government-backed agency
GetSafeOnline.org.

A substantial one in four UK web users access the net using a mobile web
browser, and of these, 20 per cent synchronise their handsets with a PC.

However, 67 per cent of people using the internet from their smartphones do
not use passwords or the PIN function to safeguard information stored on their
handsets, according to the agency.

?Users must remember that they are essentially carrying around a tiny laptop
with a wealth of personal information that is very attractive to fraudsters,?
explained Tony Neate, managing director of GetSafeOnline.org.

?The frequency with which many of us upgrade or replace our phones means that
we often don?t value or look after them in the same way as we would a laptop,"
he added.

According to GetSafeOnline.org, criminals can easily discover where you bank
and shop with a quick look at your Favourites or browsing history.

Many web sites also use cookies to remember personal information such as
login details ? meaning that a fraudster can access and use your online accounts
without needing to know your password.

The agency also warned that users who synchronise smartphones with their PCs
but don't protect their phones are allowing fraudsters to access all the
information stored on the PC as well.

It advises that the first line of defence against fraudsters is to use the
password or PIN function to secure the handset. It also advised users to think
carefully about sharing information online, and to stick with reputable sites
and applications.

Full story at http://www.computing.co.uk/computing/news/2260482/smartphones-users-protecting