Hello Everyone,

Not that I am paranoid or anything, but I think the following article, published by PC Magazine, is very interesting.

I, of course, as a most trusting individual, would never think of taking such ridiculous steps in order to …

Just a minute, I’ll get right back to … I just want to …

Hey!  You guys over there!  Are you talking about me? 

SMARTPHONE SECURITY MEASURES
by Matthew D. Sarrel

NOTE:
A link to the full article is located at the bottom of this post.

Even the simplest cell phones carry enough data to be dangerous in the wrong hands.

Everyone is mobilizing. Our lives, not just business but also personal, have become entwined with our cell phones (or is it vice versa?). “Cell phone” isn’t even the right term anymore for many people, who use their BlackBerrys, iPhones, and other smartphones almost as much as they use their computers. This makes our mobile devices and the data they contain just as important as our laptops and desktops. Add a direct Internet connection—which very few people secure—and the likelihood of physical loss or theft and you’ve got a recipe for disaster.

You may have some help from your security suite. Some security suites now include mobile features, although at this point, we’re not sure they’re necessary. However, there are a number of things you can do to avoid a data-theft disaster. Here, we tell you how to keep your phone, data, and passwords safe. One final note: When you get rid of your phone, make sure you wipe it clean. Follow Sascha Segan’s instructions on deleting data when you no longer want to keep your phone.

SMARTPHONE (WINDOWS MOBILE 6)

Password protect start-up. Go to Start | Settings | Lock and configure a password. Check the box next to Prompt if the device is unused for and then select a time period from the drop-down box, something in the 5-to-30-minute range. You can set your password to be a simple four-digit PIN or a strong alphanumeric string and then enter your password in the boxes below. You can also set a hint, but remember that this can be read by anyone with physical access to your phone. At this point, it would help to go to Settings | Today, click the Items tab and check the box next to Device Lock to provide a quick locking option on your Home screen.

Encrypt data. Under Settings | Security | Encryption, check the box that says Encrypt files placed on the storage card, then click OK. A storage card can actually contain both encrypted and nonencrypted data, but encrypted data can be read only from the device in which it was encrypted and written, or from a Windows PC using ActiveSync and Windows Mobile Device Center. There’s also a big gotcha lurking: If you have to perform a hard reset of your device or update the ROM, you will lose the encryption key stored on the device, and with it, access to your data. Companies can push encryption policies to Windows Mobile devices using Exchange Server 2007.

Secure passwords. This requires a third-party solution, such as KeePass or some other eWallet type of encrypted password manager.

Lock down Bluetooth. Go to Start | Settings, then the Connections tab, then Bluetooth. On the Mode tab you can enable or disable Bluetooth and make your device visible; Off and Not visible are the more secure settings. Scroll all the way right to the Security tab and check the box to require authentication for data beaming.

Clear the memory and cache. In Internet Explorer, go to Menu | Tools | Options; in the Memory tab you can set a history retention time in days or clear the history manually. Click the Delete Files button to clear the Web cache. Navigate to the Security tab and click the Clear Cookies button.

Click Here to continue to the original article.