Cell Phone Security Risks and Threats

By Ted Radney


Within just the last few years mobile phone technology has advanced massively in terms of the technology we see being used and the features on any standard cell phone. It wasn't that long ago that mobile phones were only used to call your friends or send a few text messages but they're now at the point where they offer as many features as most basic netbooks or laptops.

The more complex smartphones have become has meant that they now cost several hundred dollars which makes them a prime target for a thief. In fact most thieves now prefer to steal a smartphone from a gym locker or car over a wallet or watch because expensive mobile phones are very easy to sell online and offline and the people getting that expensive smartphone at a bargain-basement price will never ask any questions about where it came from.

So the smart move here is to take steps to make sure your smartphone is as safe as it possibly can be from thieves. You see if you make something difficult to steal then thieves will generally lose interest and look somewhere else for an easier "mark". Sure you might have a pretty comprehensive insurance policy right now but that doesn't mean you should ignore the security basics for your phone.

All smartphones should have a GPS feature and this is something you should have active at all times because it can really help you track your phone down when it gets stolen. It's also worth noting that your cell phone company usually has a team of people in place that can triangulate the location of a lost or stolen cell phone based on the cell phone mast area it's in right now - just like in some big-budget spy movies.

If your smartphone has Bluetooth functionality then make sure that you disable that too because Bluetooth is one of the quickest ways for a thief to not only locate your phone but also to hack into it and steal any valuable or sensitive information you might have on the 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.

If you want to get serious about keeping your mobile phone safe then you can choose to install some tracking and remote monitoring software on it which allows you to check call history, text message history and you can even view any pictures sent or received from the phone itself. Also because you have your GPS feature enabled on the phone your tracking software can tie in with Google maps to show you exactly which street the thief is living on, or the person responsible for buying your stolen phone.

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?




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