Brits are rubbish when it comes to locking down their mobiles, at least according to a new survey.
Apparently citizens of Blighty are ‘failing to take basic measures to protect their phone’, which two in five Brits eschewing screen-locks in favour of quick mobile access.
The new data comes courtesy of Insurance2go, highlighting a lack of privacy awareness amongst the nation’s budding gadgeteers.
The survey revealed that one in four Brits have had a third-party access their social media without their knowledge, 57 per cent don’t use anti-virus software, and 45 per cent don’t log out of social networks at the end of a session.
What’s more, less than half of people back up smartphone data, leaving all manner of photos, videos, texts, and other media vulnerable to loss.
“With so many people leaving themselves logged into social media 24/7 and not protected by a PIN unlock system, losing a phone can mean much more than a missing handset – it can leave you open to identity fraud,” said Duncan Spencer, Insurance2go’s Managing Director.
Interestingly, the survey revealed that Londoners rank highest for smartphone vigilance, with 69 per cent of city-slicks using phone locks compared to a national average of 58 per cent.
Good job too, as London is a hotbed for crime, with upwards of 114,000 handsets nabbed in the capital last year alone.
Leeds and Manchester however, was noted for lacking in smartphone security, despite both being ‘known for an elevated risk of mobile phone theft.’
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So what can you do to stay safe? Stick a lock-code on your blower for a start, and then consider boosting this with more hefty measures like fingerprint scanners and key-fob authenticators.
It’s also worth mentioning that you probably shouldn’t be giving out your social network passwords to strangers, friends, family, or anyone who might capitalise on a logged-in account to post embarrassing statuses about you and your nether regions…
