We often joke about how attached we are to our devices: mobile phones, tablets, and earphones. But there is a lot of truth to it. That’s why an undeniable mix of panic, anger, and worry will suffuse someone who loses a device. This underscores their importance in our lives, and our dependence on these showcases of technology. Especially in the case of mobile phones and tablets, their loss will result in our digital lives flashing before our eyes. Our very personal treasure trove of videos, voice recordings, notes, messages, apps are now at risk of access by someone else.
What do we do then to protect our data in the hopefully unlikely case that our devices are lost? Don’t waste time and attend to these imperatives right now:
Make it official. Apps like Apple’s Find My and Samsung’s SmartThings Find should be on the top to-dos of anyone with a new device. These allow owners to register even multiple devices to gain access to their location and have control of these in the unfortunate event of theft or loss. Find My enables an owner to mark a device as lost and sets a message to inform anyone who finds the device that it’s lost and how they can contact the owner. It also equips anyone with the ability to erase data in a lost device (granted that the gadget’s cloud backup is updated). This makes it easier to restore digital information to another device.
Inform your circle. Immediately notify housemates, officemates, and friends – whoever you can easily access. If needed, ask your parents, siblings, partners, or best friend to post on social media that your phone has been stolen. This alerts them should they receive messages from your accounts that are asking for money or help. If needed, go to a branch of your bank for added security or to check if there has been any unauthorized transactions since you lost your phone.
Exercise caution after you start over. We usually revive old phones or purchase another one to be contactable again. You may get messages from people who want to do further harm when they are alerted that you are back online. These can come in the form of alerts of your phone being located with a link to help you view its location. Do not click on these links as they may only further put your data at risk. If you want to take the risk of meeting someone who allegedly has your phone, select a secure and very public location and have someone go with you. Gauge if the other party is expecting a reward. Just be ready for any consequence this decision will bring.
Passwords, passwords. Passcodes and facial ID recognition will hinder others from accessing your gadget’s content. But it will be best to change all your passwords in your social media accounts and bank applications. Doing this prevents you from being locked out of these accounts, too. Select “yes” when these apps ask you if you want to be signed out from all devices you are signed onto.
Protection pays off. Telecom companies offer gadget protection for both new postpaid applications and renewal plans. Customers can get replacement phones in the event of theft or damage for a fee. Ask your provider about this offering, including the amount you have to pay, coverage, and the requirements and how long it takes to get a new phone.
Preparation is key. Losing a phone brings the hardest but most valuable lessons for some. When starting over, attend to all the security options, such as facial recognition, passcodes, and authentication apps. One-time passwords via text messages are risky, as these could be accessed by people who have custody of your phone. Think twice about storing passwords for pages you access via browsers. Ensure you attend to your cloud data and opt for automatic updates.