What to do BEFORE your phone is stolen
If you’ve ever had your mobile phone snatched or stolen, you will know what a stressful experience it can be, taking weeks or longer to clear up issues with reporting it stolen, replacing it, changing your passwords and worrying whether your identity or bank details have been compromised.
It’s a disturbingly common problem these days, but did you know that some pre-emptive steps can significantly reduce the risk of your phone’s data being misused?
Various web-sites exist that give guidance on how to set up your phone to minimise the risk of data loss in the event it is stolen, and the details do vary depending on the model of phone (iPhone, Android etc).
However, some of the general principles include:
Enabling facial ID security with a short inactivity timeout and turn off message previews, so thieves can’t see messages about reset or login codes when your phone is locked
Using complex passwords and avoiding patterns with your passwords which a thief might attempt (e.g. sequential numbers)
Enable a location tracking service on your phone (e.g. FindMyIPhone or FindmyDevice)
Keep a separate record of your phone’s IMEI number, as police will need it and it can be used to block your phone from most phone networks. Register it on immobilise.com
Set your phone to wipe its data after 10 failed passcode attempts
Change your settings so that a thief who knows your passcode cannot access all of your saved passwords
Protect your financial apps – do you really need them on your phone? Make sure that if facial security fails, they don’t default to requesting your phone’s passcode
Set up a regular backup of your data to the cloud
On iPhones, turn on “Stolen Device Protection” and set a “Recovery key” for an extra layer of security
Check whether your insurance policy covers mobile phone theft
These precautions are only a starting point, and new ones are introduced fairly regularly so do some homework on the Internet. You’ll feel so much better in the unfortunate event that your phone is lost or stolen.
Simon Burrows
Bishopsgate Ward Team
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