What if you lose your Smart Phone?

UPDATE: A one-minute video presentation here...

There is article in the Wall Street Journal today called, "Do Hackers Pose a Threat To Smart Phones?"

The author, Joseph De Avila, does a great job in letting us know the possible security risks of entering a "lot" of information onto a Smart Phone; he also gives some ideas on how to mitigate some of those risks.

One thing I have done (thank you for showing this to me, Jonathan!) is created a security "password" on my BlackBerry. Any time I want to "get in" to the phone, I have to type in a multi-character password. (Yes, I realize that if someone gets my Smart Phone, and they REALLY know what they are doing, it may not block their access...)

My thinking is/was, if I accidentally leave my BB behind, I can at least know that the person who finds it may not have instant/complete access to all my personal information. So, here's how I did it:

(You can click on the pictures below to see them more clearly...)

On the "main screen" find the icon for "Settings." Click on that icon to amend your BB settings.

Click on the icon for "Options." Click on that icon to change your security settings.

Choose the option for "Security Settings."

Next, select the option for "General Settings."

Enable a "Password." Make it something that you can memorize, but is not extremely easy to guess...

If you have a few minutes, Joseph De Avila gives more recommendations for personal Smart Phone security in his article...see below, or click here.