As the level of access and synchronisation grows with each emerging model, smartPhones are carrying as much information appealing to hackers and fraudsters as many laptops but are much easier to access. Full copies of email accounts and often banking or corporate network access systems stored on most Smartphones carried across the nation makes this a virtual seventh heaven of opportunity for crooks and criminals.
“Most phones are only equipped with simple 4 digit codes that are simply not up for the job” says Colin Allison, CEO PINoptic, “with the amount of information stored on most of our mobile devices it is only a matter of time before someone has a serious security breach.”
Identity fraud cases went up by two-thirds in 2008 according to Experian.
“With the amount of personal information we store on our phones, and the weak systems currently protecting this data this is a disaster waiting to happened” say Allison, “there are solutions but the manufactures aren’t taking this seriously yet. But unless security is improved on the handsets we will see an increasing amount of unhappy owners.”