By Cyber Risk Solutions | May 23, 2012 at 01:50 PM EDT |
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We are tethered to our smartphones all day, everyday. It's our alarm clock, newspaper, To-Do list, and...dare we say...phone. The myriad functions our smartphones provide give us nearly omniscient power. Not bad for the 21st Century.
Until...
You lose it.
As a buddy of mine learned at Preakness this past weekend, your phone can be misplaced, lost, stolen, or just plain disappear. Panic mode undoubtedly ensues as we retrace our steps in hopes of finding it, but your phone is gone. You feel naked. (Wait, people survived thousands of years without a mobile phone?! How was that even possible???)
And, as this Today Show piece illustrates, people won't return it to you; they'll even snoop around all your apps, docs, contacts, etc.
It gets worse.
Do you know what kinds of private information your phone contained? What if you phone had e-mails, Word documents, Google calendars, etc. that contained sensitive confidential information--i.e. your customers' social security numbers, credit card numbers, or medical information?
Your lost phone just turned into a data breach.
Lost and stolen mobile devices account for a great deal of all known data breaches.
So how do you protect your phone, your office, and your organization?
First and foremost, put a password or key-lock on your phone. This step is the first line of defense, and one that must not be overlooked. (Even the FBI can't crack the Android pattern lock.) Secondly, some apps give you the ability to remotely lock down and even erase all the data on your phone, preventing prying eyes from compromising that data. Lastly, data breach insurance (cyber liability insurance), provides your organization with the necessary funds and experts to deal with a data breach.
When its in your hand, your smartphone is an invaluable tool. When it's in the hands of anyone else, you and your business are responsible and liable for the breach in privacy of all information stored on your phone.
For a free cyber liability insurance analysis for your business, please call me directly--410-727-2211 x606.
Best wishes and stay secure, Nickel
