Adapted from an article in the Seattle PI.
Is your smartphone secure? Not unless you’re taking 10 safety steps, according to the Federal Communications Commission.
The FCC on Tuesday released a "smartphone security checker" with checklists customized for Android, Apple, Blackberry and Windows phones.
"With less than half of smartphone owners using passwords to protect their devices, this new tool will be of particular value to millions of Americans," FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said in a statement. "The holiday gift-giving season is a perfect time to remind consumers to take simple steps, like setting a password, to protect themselves from mobile security threats."
Nearly half of Americans own a smartphone and almost 20 percent have been the victim of mobile cybercrime, according to the FCC. The agency said it developed the checker with smartphone security experts from the Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Trade Commission, the National Cyber Security Alliance, CTIA-The Wireless Association, Lookout and others.
Here is a link to the FCC Security Checker site. http://www.fcc.gov/smartphone-security. Once at the site, choose your style of phone, and it will create a list for you to check. As said in this article, your first line of defense should be a PIN or a password, same goes for your PC’s at your home and office.
-Bryan