Smarter Security for the Smartphone
With the increasing number of smartphone theft and incidents with malware attacking mobile platforms, computer security businesses have realized the demand for a service that will protect consumers’ privacy and personal information.
In an effort to protect consumers from losing vital information stored on their cellphones, F-Secure has launched a product that makes it possible to remotely wipe all data on a lost or stolen device. Offered free to consumers, the Anti-Theft for Mobile will also help owners retrieve lost or stolen cell phones and prevents thieves from accessing personal information or making expensive calls.
“Smartphones are always with you, they are always on, and probably they have more data about you than any other device you carry around or own,” said Sean Sullivan, security adviser at F-Secure.
Contrary to tracking services of some other phones, the Anti-Theft Mobile works on-demand and does not require the user to create an account, Sullivan said. As the service is reliant on a network and SMS-based, it has no restriction with regards to range or wireless carriers, he explained.
He explained the program contains four commands: lock, locate, SIM change and wipe. When the phone is lost or stolen, the owner sends the command of their choice from someone else’s phone. This feature could prove to be extremely valuable to phone owners carrying vital, sensitive information such as bank account passwords or social-network logins saved within the browser.
“You don’t want anybody to be able to use your identity, particularly if you think of all the social networks and email accounts you’ve got sitting there on your phone,” he said. “Not only information but also your identity is kind of connected to your phone.”
The need for the product is evident based on the number of downloads the product has seen since its emergence into the market. Sullivan explained the feedback has been extremely positive and there have already been thousands of users securing their phones with this anti-theft program.
The future of this product looks bright, and as Sullivan explained, its versatility and capabilities will grow as F-Secure continues its development. The company is working to incorporate something along the lines of an online backup of a user’s smartphone data. Sullivan gave a glimpse into this possibility by explaining online backup will hopefully “be a function of our Anti-Theft [service] in the future.”
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