Fifty percent of all thefts in California last year were cell phone related. Theft of one’s cell phone and password is a gateway to theft of all of a person’s account data and information. These are frightening facts, says Ben Brewster of Corvallis Technical, a security company for internet and electronic devices.
Brewster shared important tips to help people secure their cell phones and accounts at a weekly luncheon of the Greater Corvallis Rotary. He recommends:
- Add a four-digit passcode on your Iphone. This gives thieves another code they need to break before they can gain access to your information.
- Do not duplicate passwords on your accounts.
- Create longer passwords. Longer is better than complicated passwords. Use the four word rule and create a password that is four words put together with no spaces.
- Use upper and lower case in passwords. It decreases a thieves’ ability to de-code your password.
- Explore tracking devices for your phone. Most cell companies have them available. For example, Android uses PlanB to track cell phones. Apple uses MyiPhone to track a cell phone.
- Shut cell phones down immediately if it is stolen or lost and you can’t track it.
- Consider not keeping any account data on your cell phone.
