PHILADELPHIA – The Philadelphia area is tops in the nation for lost and stolen cellphones. Where will you most likely “lose it” and how can you protect your data on a missing phone?
The security firm Lookout Mobile Security says Philadelphia beat out Seattle as the place where your cellphone will most likely go missing in the United States.
Within Philadelphia, the three places where your phone will most likely disappear will be the automotive shop, pizza place and church – and not at your local pub or bar!
In fact, in Philly, you are more likely to see your phone disappear at work than at a restaurant.
And on average, people lose their cell phones twice a year in the Philadelphia area.
Lookout says its app located about 9 million lost smartphones last year in the U.S., or about one phone every 3.5 seconds.
To determine places where phones were lost in cities across the globe, the study used the Foursquare API.
“Each day, $7 million worth of phones are lost by Lookout users alone, and if unrecovered, it would take a significant toll not only on our wallets, but on our psyche, too,” said Lookout co-founder Kevin Mahaffey.
Lookout has a free App that can let you find your phone. Their premium products let you lock the phone and erase all the data on it.
There are other companies that offer similar products and services.
An article from PC Magazine listed about a dozen products that help with missing phones.
Most require you to install an app, before the phone goes missing, that will let you erase the data remotely.
You should also check with your phone provider after the phone is gone, to see if it has the ability to erase data remotely.
One simple tip is if you have a Smartphone, always use the Password Protection feature.
A recent study showed that 67 percent of personal Smartphone users skip this simple step, which will make it harder for a hacker to get into your phone and nearly impossible for a non-hacker.
Apple’s iPhone product also has some unique security challenges. Its MobileMe product can help you locate a missing phone, if someone hasn’t uninstalled it from your phone.
Link: Official Info From Apple
Apple recommends you call law enforcement if the phone is lost or stolen.
Article source: http://www.myfoxphilly.com/dpp/news/local_news/philly-worst-for-stolen-cellphones
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