While data usage among smartphone users has risen dramatically over the past few years, many users still remain ambivalent about the information security in such devices. While some might be aware of the importance of information security, most users still adopt a nonchalant or negligent attitude towards this issue. According to a recent survey of U.S. consumer attitudes about smartphones, less than half of the respondents consider security features to be important when deciding which smartphone to buy. This probably reflects the underlying sentiment among most smartphone users that security precautions are not a vital necessity.

Not surprisingly, with such common public sentiments, criminals are finding smartphones a very attractive and easy target to hack into and retrieve personal and confidential information. While smartphones have made our lives a lot easier, their convenience also makes us more vulnerable to hackers. Moreover, given that most people now use their smartphones for both personal and work purpose, not only do these smartphones contain a treasure trove of personal and company information, they also provide an easy access point into company networks. With the growing popularity of smartphones, we can expect an increase in smartphone attacks, which will likely focus on stealing the information on a particular phone or using them to enter a network.

What are some signs that your smartphone might have been hacked?

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According to a recent survey sponsored by AVG Technologies on U.S. consumers’ attitudes towards smartphone security, most of the smartphone users are unwittingly exposing themselves to several security risks. From the survey, the top five concerns of smartphone users are as follows.

1. Being targeted by marketers based on how the phone is used for purchases, Internet browsing and even location. This often results in users receiving unwanted marketing ads or promotions on their smartphones.
2. As people use their smartphone for both personal and working purposes, there is a danger of putting confidential work-related information at risk.
3. Connecting to the Internet via an insecure local WIFI network.
4. Improper disposal of smartphone without removing the sensitive data inside, thus allowing others to access them later
5. Location data embedded inside certain files can allow the user to be tracked.

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Most smartphone users today are oblivious to the extent that they are exposing their personal and confidential information to certain risks when using their smartphones. According to a recent survey by the Ponemon Institute on smartphone use by U.S. consumers, 89% of the respondents use their smartphone for personal email and 82% use it for business email as well. A smaller percentage of the respondents also use their smartphone for online shopping and banking. Hence, the growing integration of smartphone use into our daily lives only increases the security risks of smartphone use.

Whether it is due to complacency or lack of awareness, many smartphone users often unknowingly expose themselves to unnecessary risks. These include the following common acts like

• Leaving the smartphone lying around, particularly in public places
• Not using keypad locks
• Choosing simple passwords, that are easily deciphered by hackers or using the same password for all the user-related applications
• Connecting to insecure local broadband or WIFI networks
• Not updating the latest security features or not installing anti-virus software

Unlike desktop or laptop users, smartphone users tend to think that since the primary use of the device is for phone calls and emails, there are negligible security or privacy risks. This is a dangerous fallacy as smartphones are, in fact, very attractive targets for hackers, given that the former contains a treasure trove of personal information about the user, whether it be personal passwords, credit card information, online banking details or detailed information about their contacts.

IT security experts have recommended some basic and cost-effective measures that would greatly enhance smartphone security.

• Try not to leave the smartphone out of your sight, especially in public places.
• Set your phone to lock out after a period of time.
• Use a good alphanumeric password. It is also preferable to use a variety of passwords for different applications.
• Update your smartphone’s OS security features, or install the latest anti-virus software.
• Be selective in granting privileges for third party apps.

The first step to securing your smartphone is to be smart about it, the second step is to have a system in place to secure your smartphone in the event it is lost or stolen.  Tech Strategies' hosted email service "Kerio Connect Mail Hosting" provides the capacity to remotely wipe your smartphone in the event it is lost or stolen.  Kerio Connect Mail Server also provides robust anti-spam and anti-virus filtering built-in to increase end user security.

In the thrill of getting a new smartphone, many of us often forget or overlook the importance of data security. However, this is a particularly pertinent issue since most of us use the smartphone for both work and personal purposes. In the event of the data being hacked into, this would mean the invasion of personal privacy or even the loss of sensitive confidential work-related information. According to a recent survey by the Ponemon Institute, commissioned by AVG Technologies, on smartphone use, 66% of U.S. users said that they kept a significant amount of personal data on their smartphones. Such personal data included email address, name, contact lists, photos, videos, anniversary and personal dates, as well as personal tastes in music, movies and books.

What most smartphone users are not aware of is the vulnerability of the information stored in the device. According to security experts, there are several risks commonly faced by smartphone users.

• The basic security protections of most smartphones can be easily disabled by jailbreaking, making the smartphones vulnerable to spyware or malware attacks.
• If the smartphone connects to the Internet via an insecure local WiFi network, this increases its vulnerability to virus attacks.
• If not properly secured, confidential user information such as credit card or online banking details on the smartphone could be easily hacked into by others.
• Some smartphone apps may contain spyware or specialized malware that either allows others to access the private information on the smartphone or control the smartphone for other purposes at the user’s expense.

The list above is not an exhaustive one, though it does reflect the importance of ensuring the security of the information stored in our smartphones. So how do we protect our smartphones from such risks?

1. Physical security
   • For starters, don’t lose your phone or leave it out of your sight, especially in public places.
   • Secondly, set your phone to lock out after a period of time and use a good alphanumeric password.
   • Utilize a service that allows you to remotely wipe your phone in the event it is lost and irretrievable.  (We obviously recommend Kerio Connect Mail Hosting or Kerio Connect Mail Server!)
     • By integrating this service with Kerio Connect, your email, calendar, contacts, and reminders are always synced and backed up.
2. Update your smartphone’s OS security features.
   • This is your smartphone’s first line of defense against any possible hacking or introduction of malicious viruses, malware or spyware.
3. Be careful when downloading third party apps.
   • Think carefully before granting the necessary level of privileges for each app. While most smartphone OSs have a centralized application-store screening process, this is not a foolproof solution.

While the abovementioned measures would greatly help to enhance your smartphone security, the onus is still on the user himself or herself to be careful.  After all, the best security always begins with the end user!