Time to lock down your smartphone!

[rumborak]

Symantec "planted" some lost phones and checked what finders did with them. Apparently 40% tried to access banking information:

https://www.cnn.com/2012/03/20/tech/mobile/lost-smartphones-security/index.html?iref=allsearch

I have a 5-digit passkey on my phone. Considering encrypting the whole phone though, which Android 4.0 lets you do.

rumborak

[AcidLameLTE]

I use a fingerprint sensor/5 digit password on my phone.

Don't know why anyone wouldn't have some sort of password on their phone.

[BlobVanDam]

Interesting stats there. If I found a phone like that, the first thing I'd do is obviously look for the contact info of the person who owned it, and I'll admit I'd also probably be tempted to look through some photos, or music, or stuff of that nature (not saying I definitely would, but there's a fair chance of it).
But beyond that, I wouldn't be poking around with emails and definitely wouldn't consider trying to access bank information or anything private like that. That extends well beyond reasonable curiosity and is too much of an invasion of privacy.

It makes you think though, especially with how much smartphones can do these days.

[kirksnosehair]

There never has been and never will be any kind of banking information on my phone.  My password for the Apple App store has 14 characters, including characters from the extended ASCII set (basically uncrackable).  Plus, I suppose it's theoretically possible, but I have never "lost" a thing like a cell phone.  It's either in my pocket, on the charger, or pressed against my head. 

But I'm not even remotely surprised by this information.  Human nature.  (see: illegal downloading)

[YtseBitsySpider]

1,2,3,4,5

lol

ahh..spaceballs....so many good ones.

I don't have a password lock on my phone.
most if not all banking apps don't allow you to retain log in and password info pre-filled.
If you're dumb enough to have them jotted in some list app well then shit...what'd you expect.

In Canada they did a study and a HUGE % of phone finders attempted to return them..and a huge % looked at photos first.

[lonestar]

I have a swipe, but like kirk, I do nothing of importance through my phone.  Basically, if someone got a hold of my phone, they could fuck up my Draw games, and get me banned from here.  They probably could do some Facebook damage, but that would be easily rectified, my friends know my style.


In related news, I found a phone in a taxi, opened up the phone list, called "home" and "dad" and told them I had their phone.  Guy had it back within hours.  I even refused the money he offered me for it's return.   

[El Barto]

Yeah, nothing sensitive on mine.

[AcidLameLTE]

In related news, I found a phone in a taxi, opened up the phone list, called "home" and "dad" and told them I had their phone. 

I did this once but I found his phone in airport bathroom. I wasn't in a rush so I just waited for about 15 minutes until it got called and went and handed the guy's phone back.

[Cool Chris]

Found a phone on the sidewalk while walking the dog. Read some texts about a guy trying to score some coke, then got a call asking if I found a phone (duh, of course I did, I am answering it, aren't I?). Gave it back, guy gave me $20, just as I would do if someone found and quickly returned mine.

I'm with Lonestar though, only damage they could do is mess up my netflix queue or delete my saved GBC games.

[Adami]

Mine requires first a voice activated password in 3 different languages. Then it requires a retinal scan followed by a blood sample.

[lonestar]

Mine requires a blood sample from my first born.  Pisses my daughter off to no end.

[YtseBitsySpider]

Mine requires a colon dna sample.
Some serious shit right there.

[Kotowboy]

I have nothing no my phone but texts and contacts.

Its a really old phone and I don't have any apps on it or any sensitive info.

[Jaffa]

Sad to say, but that's the price of technology.  If you want to have a phone that can pay your bills and start your car, you had better be prepared to guard that phone as carefully as you would guard your credit cards and keys. 

That being said, if I found a phone, I'd check the contact list and get the phone returned to its owner.  Maybe check out their tastes in music first, like Blob said, but nothing too private, and I certainly wouldn't try to steal from them. 

[MetalMike06]

I do have a 4-digit password on my phone, but I don't really need it that badly. I don't have a data plan so I pretty much only use my phone to text and make quick calls. No internet or banking stuff to worry about.

[Jaq]

I have a banking app on my phone, but my banking password is the same one that I use here, a password that it would take 7.2 billion years to brute force hack based on a password security calculator.

If I did lose my phone, I bet I can change that password before whoever finds my phone can guess it. 

[Kotowboy]

My passwords are made up words and then numbers for some of the letters.

Surely impossible to guess ?