By Stephen Glass (Thursday, 19th March 2009)
Mobile phone users across the UK are putting their personal security at risk by storing sensitive information on their handsets, new research has shown.According to a study by data protection security experts Credant Technologies, consumers save a range of data on their phones that could be exploited if the device fell in to the wrong hands.Almost a quarter of those surveyed admitted to recording pin numbers and passwords on their handsets, while many devices also contain bank account details and credit card information.Furthermore, four out of ten respondents fail to protect such data by securing their phones with a password, with many proving ignorant to the potential dangers.Public sector director at Credant Technologies Paul Huntingdon said a professional thief could take over the life of a mobile phone user and "effectively destroy it" if they were to get their hands on this information.Once they gain access to an individual's emails, passwords, business diary and other personal data, criminals can easily "masquerade as that person" and take over their identity, he warned."It is therefore imperative that all mobile phone users, even with the most basic handset, password protect and encrypt them," Mr Huntingdon added.This follows a similar caution from mobile phone recycling and reuse provider Regenersis, which called for industry standards to help increase security for consumers who recycle their old handsets.A study by the firm revealed that 99 per cent of phones processed during the first week of December still contained traces of personal data, including emails and text messages.
addthis_pub = 'ukwm';
Mobile phone users across the UK are putting their personal security at risk by storing sensitive information on their handsets, new research has shown.According to a study by data protection security experts Credant Technologies, consumers save a range of data on their phones that could be exploited if the device fell in to the wrong hands.Almost a quarter of those surveyed admitted to recording pin numbers and passwords on their handsets, while many devices also contain bank account details and credit card information.Furthermore, four out of ten respondents fail to protect such data by securing their phones with a password, with many proving ignorant to the potential dangers.Public sector director at Credant Technologies Paul Huntingdon said a professional thief could take over the life of a mobile phone user and "effectively destroy it" if they were to get their hands on this information.Once they gain access to an individual's emails, passwords, business diary and other personal data, criminals can easily "masquerade as that person" and take over their identity, he warned."It is therefore imperative that all mobile phone users, even with the most basic handset, password protect and encrypt them," Mr Huntingdon added.This follows a similar caution from mobile phone recycling and reuse provider Regenersis, which called for industry standards to help increase security for consumers who recycle their old handsets.A study by the firm revealed that 99 per cent of phones processed during the first week of December still contained traces of personal data, including emails and text messages.
addthis_pub = 'ukwm';
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