As already mentioned, August is Device Theft Awareness Month with Absolute Lojack. Smartphone thefts are at an all time high. And while losing your shiny new toy will hurt, it is the data on your device that is even more valuable. We use our smartphones to connect to our email, bank accounts, social media accounts and more. This means that someone getting their hands on our device could have all the information that they need to do harm. It is important to know how to protect your valuable devices, and especially your data, from prying eyes and thieves.

Tips on Protecting Your Smartphone Data

1. Lock Your Phone: It surprises me how many people don’t take advantage of the #1 security feature on their smartphone, the lock screen security. This is the first thing that you should set up when you get your new phone. Some smartphones allow you to set a pin code, password, or even allow you to lock your phone using a fingerprint or by recognizing your face. Now I did find out that if you have people around that look similar to you, they can unlock your phone using face recognition. My daughter was able to unlock my phone. The fingerprint scanner is a great option and provides a fast and easy way to unlock your phone. And for extra security it also allows a password in case the fingerprint option fails.

2. Do Not Use a Combination Phone/Wallet Case: These are very popular. And while I do understand the convenience of having your phone and other important items in one place, this also makes me nervous. I usually keep my phone in my back pocket for easy access. Meanwhile, my wallet is in my purse where it belongs. If something does happen to my phone, my credit cards, and other valuable wallet stuff is safe. Using a combination smartphone case/wallet means that everything that you carry of value is in that one little pouch. In the unlucky event that your smartphone is stolen using a combination case, that means that thief also gets all of your credit and debit cards.

3. Password Protect Apps, as Needed: Some of us keep important information such as bank account numbers, passwords, and other important notes on our phones for easy access. If that is the case make sure that you are using an app created to store your passwords. There are several options for password vaults created specifically to save your account information and passwords. These apps are password protected and encrypted. Some of them even allow access to your data not only from your smartphone but also from a website where you can manage your account.

4. Set Your Data and Photos to Backup Automatically: Whether you are using an iPhone, Android Phone, or Windows Phone, you have the ability to set your smartphone to automatically backup your data. If you are using a Gmail account you can sync your email, contacts, calendar, and photos to your account. You can also use Dropbox to automatically save your photos as you take them. Using a Windows Phone? Your Hotmail or Outlook account will be connected to save your data. iPhone users you should connect to iCloud to backup your data. If your data is backed up, you won’t miss much of a beat if your phone is lost or stolen. However, if you are not one of the lucky ones that have an unlimited smartphone data plan, you may want to set your photos to only backup over WiFi to avoid going over your data limit.

5. Turn on Tracking for Your Device: There are several options to track your smartphone. I use a combination of things to track my daughter’s smartphones. Using a service like Absolute Lojack means that if your phone is lost not only can you track it, but you can remotely wipe your data if need be. This gives you peace of mind. And remember, you can sign up right now and use the promo code UNCOVER30 to get a 30% discount on a standard or premium plan during checkout. Visit the Absolute Lojack website to learn more and to sign up.

Check out the #AbsoluteUncovered hashtag on Twitter for more great information and tips about device theft awareness.