What do you keep on your phone?

Keeping your mobile data safe

How conscientious are you when it comes to security on your phone? New evidence suggests that, as mobile phones becomes more and more advanced, and consumers begin to carry more and more valuable data around with them on their phones, the devices are becoming a security like never before.

These days, having a phone stolen or mislaying one i means you can forfeit everything from sentimental items such as family photos to identifying information such as email passwords and credit card details.

Because of this, in the UK, the government has called on the mobile phone industry to do more to protect handset owners against theft as around two percent of British mobile phone users report that they have suffered a theft in the last year.

Alan Campbell, Minister for Crime Prevention, said firms "have a social and a corporate responsibility to tackle crime."

According to the BBC, Mr. Campbell likened the problem to that of car theft. He said that following government intervention, innovations in the car industry - such as immobilisers - had helped cut theft by 60 percent in 10 years.
Figures suggest that 228 mobile phones are reported stolen in the UK every hour.

How can you protect yourself?

Until measures are introduced to help cut down on mobile phone theft, there are some tips consumers can utilise to protect themselves.

• On most phones you can dial *#06# on your mobile to see your handset's unique identifying number and write down your phone's 15-digit ID.

• Create passwords to prevent unwanted access to your phone and memory card.

• Only enable Bluetooth while you exchange data. Otherwise set it to "hidden" or "invisible".

• Consider engraving your name on your mobile to make it less tempting to thieves.

• Consider buying software to protect your data.

Missing in action

• If your phone is lost or stolen, contact your mobile phone carrier and provide the handset's ID number.

• If the phone subsequently turns up, you can have the handset unblocked.

Michael O'Hara from the industry body GSMA said the mobile industry "supports and welcomes innovations that help to safeguard against mobile phone crime in any guise."

He said the GSMA "leads a growing number of initiatives" aimed at tackling mobile crime including "a database of handset serial numbers" that allow a phone to be blocked when they are reported as lost or stolen.

The government's call comes as the Home Office unveiled the winning designs in a crime prevention contest, aimed at making mobile phones less attractive to thieves.

Designs included an alarm that sounds when a phone is too far from its owner and locks the handset, or a system to encrypt users data on the phone.

The winning designs will be shown off at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona from the 15-18 February.

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