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Who doesn’t have a smartphone these days? That is virtually unheard of. Remember back in the day when cell phones were obsolete and people actually used phones that plugged into the wall? Those days are long gone and now everybody pretty much has everything at the tip of the fingers in real time. It is and will remain to be the ‘in’ thing to get the newest phone released, technology advances by the minute you know. The phone you just purchased will be outdated in a year and something will be out in its place. With this being said, identity theft is always changing and growing, hackers/bots are figuring out how to get access to your precious information that you so conveniently keep in the palm of your hand. Filing Cabinet in Your Palm Face it, your smartphone is essentially the filing cabinet you always wanted, or have but just in the palm of your hand. People no longer have to remember phone numbers, appointments, email addresses, credit card information, this list can go on and on. There is literally an app for everything! Your phones are generally synced to many different accounts, all of which include your personal information. How many people log out of their email or social media sites? Not too many. How many times have you paid for something over the internet, and/or on your phone? Whatever the answers are, that information is stored in the phone until the history is cleared. Light bulb! Smartphone identity theft all of a sudden does not seem like a difficult task or far-fetched idea, does it? If someone gains access to your phone – they essentially got a first class ticket into your life, your business, your…everything! Anti-Virus Software Knowing how to prevent identity theft is useful information in all aspects of your life. As with your home computer and business computers, anti-virus software is made for various phones as well. These are programs that can be installed that will offer you identity theft protection. People can never really be too safe when it comes to their personal information. Unfortunately there are many people out there that make a living off of stealing others identities, money and personal information. App Downloads It should be common sense to check the source in which apps are coming from. On a home or business computer you do not go clicking on every link and pop-up and you certainly validate the security of a site. The same cautiousness should occur on your smartphone as well. It is important to remember to only use legitimate sites to download applications; it is for your own safety. The network that you are using should be secured as well, take extra caution when using public Wi-Fi settings. Precautionary Measures After receiving a big head’s up in respect to smartphones and identity theft, the best thing you can do along with installing anti-virus protection software is to put a password on your phone. It may seem like a hassle to enter a password every time you want to use your cell phone, but it will save you tremendously in the end. Another step to take is to look into some tracking software. GPS can be a good and bad thing on your phone because it does allow ‘others’ to have access to where you are but on the flip side, if your phone gets stolen – you can track down who has it. Vulnerability Everyone is vulnerable and susceptible to falling victim to identity theft. No one should ever let their guard down because they are not ever fully one hundred percent protected. Even with the latest and greatest software and protection that can be offered, there is always a slight possibility to have your information stolen. From smartphones to computers, gaming systems and home computers – there can be a predator waiting to steal your information. With any electronic device, it is always best to be overly cautious and protect any information. This includes password protecting everything, logging out of email and social media sites as well as clearing history and automatic data fill-in options. You have full control over what your phone will ‘remember’ take advantage of that! Amy Johnson is an active blogger who is fond of writing articles on identity theft and helping people to protect against identity theft. Follow her on Twitter to know more on how your smartphone can lead you to identity theft.
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