Read More: What Should You Do After Losing Your Phone?

Start with a Powerful Software Offense
dfndr security’s anti-theft feature is a godsend if your phone is suddenly gone.  In addition to providing you with the ability to locate your device on a map, you can sound an alarm to track it nearby, or even remotely wipe your device through your Google account. It’s smart to enable the feature as soon as possible, ideally before your phone is gone. Why not do so now? 

Stay Aware of Your Surroundings
We live in a fast-paced digital world, which can cause us to become stuck in our devices. Whether you’re walking down the street or sitting on a subway train, it’s imperative to remain cautious about your surroundings. Thieves will commonly target individuals who appear unaware and ‘lost in their screens.’ By the time you realize what’s happening, a thief has already grabbed your smartphone and bolted away.

Add a Password
If you ensure that your device is password protected, a possible theft might be avoided. Some thieves carefully watch individuals to see who is genuinely present but also who has an unsecured device. More advanced thieves may not care if your device has a passcode, but still, having one setup can deter the type of thief looking to make a quick buck off a stolen phone.

Any or all of these insider tricks can help you be more conscious of your belongings and still enjoy the benefits of your digital world. Let’s be honest, there are so many!

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Read More: What Are the Dangers of Losing Your SIM Card?

What to Do When You Lose Your Phone
The first step is to locate your phone from a different device. This step should be taken first to ensure that you didn’t misplace your device at your hotel or leave it at home. This can be done by visiting my.psafe.com and entering your Google account information. Once you’ve logged in, you can view your phone’s location, lock your device, erase all of your data, sound an alarm, or see if your SIM card has been taken out or replaced by clicking the “+” symbol in the bottom right corner.

You can choose which option seems most appropriate based on your situation. If your phone is somewhere in your room, for example, you may choose to play a sound in order to locate it quickly. If you suspect someone has taken your device, you can remove all of your data to prevent identity theft. You can also lock your phone to prevent further access to your device. From here, you can determine whether or not further action should be taken with the police in the event that your phone has been stolen or tampered with.

It’s important to be proactive in the event of misplacing your phone. In order to access the anti-theft features, you should have them activated prior to misplacing your device in order for them to work. The next time you plan to travel, you will experience a safer, worry-free traveling experience because you are prepared.

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Read More: Can Someone Hack My Android’s Bluetooth?

The SS7 Vulnerability

SS7, also known as the global signaling system, is a protocol suite that allows devices to communicate with one another worldwide. SS7 vulnerabilities are what allow hackers and spies to intercept text messages, listen to others’ phone calls, and track smartphone users’ locations. This means that they can intercept a text message to reset your password, or even divert texts to their devices to gain access to your account.

How Hackers Can Use Your Phone Number

For hackers that know how to use SS7 to their advantage, it’s very simple to hack online accounts through a victim’s phone number. All they need to do is go to the Facebook homepage, click on “Forgot account?”, and then type in your phone number. Then, they’ll redirect the text message (that you should receive) to them, so that they get your one-time password to log into your account. This same strategy can be used to access your Gmail account or other social networking accounts, too.

More recently, this strategy has been used to hack bank accounts and drain victims’ accounts instantly. However, this process is slightly more complicated than hacking into a Facebook account. Hackers first have to steal victims’ passwords, phone numbers, and account information. Then, to authorize the transfer of money, they have to get a fake telecom provider in order to redirect the bank’s one-time password to them. Once they have this information, they can log onto victims’ accounts to transfer the money and approve the transfer because they control the whole process.

How to Protect Your Online Accounts

Because of this SS7 flaw, it’s important to never attach your phone number to your Facebook account or other online accounts. For account recovery, you should instead choose to receive email alerts. This goes for two-factor authentication, as well. Two-factor authentication will make your account much more secure — as long as you receive codes via email, not text message. You may also want to use apps that offer end-to-end encryption — in addition to activating Anti-Theft — to better protect your personal information.

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Read More: The Different Reasons Behind Phone Theft

Tracking a Stolen Phone

On a computer, go to my.psafe.com to remotely track your phone. Sign in with your Google account information, the same information that you used when registering Anti-Theft. From your computer, you can push through your desired actions. If you want to delete your data or lock your phone, it’s easy enough to accomplish this through the online portal.

If your phone still has a connection to the Internet and a working battery, you can see the location of your phone. Just remember: do not cancel your SIM card until you use these tools. Look for the plus button on the screen so you can access different options, including “Find.” Here’s where you can see where your phone is currently located or its last recorded location. If you don’t see anything, don’t worry just yet. As soon as your phone is reconnected to the Internet, you can push through whatever actions you want. This is when you can also see where your device is hiding.

Now that you’ve tracked your phone using the Anti-Theft feature, it’s important that you involve the police. Never try to get your phone back on your own. Instead, visit your local police station to file a report or get the help you need. If it’s unlikely that you’ll find your stolen phone, you should erase all of your data remotely so that you can ensure your personal information remains secure.

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Read More: Traveling Solo? Meet Other Travelers with These Apps

1. Keep Your Phone Hidden

When you’re out in public, your phone shouldn’t be seen. Crowded areas, like public transit and busy streets, are the worst places to be texting. A thief could easily grab you phone, then disappear into a swarm of people, never to be seen again. If you absolutely need to send a message, hold the Android firmly by fanning out your fingers to maximize grip.

2. Store It Safely

Have your phone stored properly at all times. First of all, it should always be carried with you, whether in a front pocket, a traveler’s pouch, or a zippered handbag. Never leave your phone neglected on a restaurant table or in the hotel room. Also, keeping your phone in a back pocket is never recommended. Pickpockets can fish it out and be long gone before you even notice.

3. Get a Phone Case

A basic phone case is another good trick, especially if your phone is new or expensive. Concealing the brand and model will make your Android less appealing to thieves. That being said, don’t purchase a designer case — you’re just asking for trouble then.

4. Stay Aware in Public

When you’re moving around the city, always be aware of your surroundings. Be cautious of strangers who try to strike up conversation, or walk closely next to you. Also, when you’re in public, take your headphones off. Thieves will think you’re an easy target if you’re oblivious to the world around you.

5. Have a Backup Plan

Before you board that plane, make sure that your phone is backed up, and that you have all of the necessary information written down. If the device is stolen, it’s necessary to know its unique serial numbers. Many police forces will ask for them when you submit a report.

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Read More: Use DFNDR’s Anti-Theft Tools When Your Phone is Stolen

But times are changing again. New cell phone models are now featuring front-mounted fingerprint scanners that take things a bit further. Case in point? The new Huawei P10 and P10 Plus, and the Moto G5 and G5 Plus, have mixed things up again. This time, there are no on-screen navigation buttons. Instead of the typical navigation, there’s now a front-mounted fingerprint scanner. As you may imagine, it takes a little getting used to and isn’t without its problems.

For the Moto G5 and G5 Plus, the controls are more natural and intuitive. It doesn’t feel as complicated and it isn’t as difficult to remember the functions. Swipe to the left to head back, click to head for home, and swipe to the right for your recently used mobile apps. Again, when you hold down the home button, you’ll pop up Google Now.

Take the P10 for instance. Yes, you can unlock your phone with the scanner as you’d expect, but after it is unlocked, you can do more. Click on it to go back, long-press to go home, or swipe to the left or to the right to pop up your recent apps. There’s even faster access to Google Now. All you need to do is to swipe up near the home button — now that’s convenient.

Learning, or at least trying to remember, the different swipes won’t take forever. In fact, it does feel faster than clicking around the traditional way. Still, if it isn’t for you, there is an option to return to the on-screen buttons. Since there’s no standard design, each manufacturer will handle it differently. Switching from manufacturer to manufacturer will mean taking more time to learn how to use that feature. The rear-mounted scanners, like on the Pixel, seem more natural overall.

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Read More: Your Phone Can be Hacked Even When it’s Offline

Did you know that it’s now possible for your pattern lock to be hacked? Although, this is very unlikely, cybercriminals are always going to find new ways to hack your devices. While this hack hasn’t necessarily been used by cybercriminals, researchers are studying how to stop it before it becomes more common.

What is Pattern Lock?

Pattern Lock replaced PIN passcodes on the Android OS. Instead, the system gives you nine dots on which you trace a pattern. Then, any time you want to unlock the phone, you re-trace the pattern you set.

How This New Hack Works

Hackers don’t have to see your Pattern Lock screen to replicate the pattern. Instead, researchers have used video and computer algorithm software to track the fingertip movement required to unlock the phone.

To hack the screen, researchers noted that the victim could be filmed using the hacker’s phone camera even from a great distance away. While the researchers used footage they’d filmed themselves, some worry that footage from security cameras could also be used in connection with the software algorithm. The computer algorithm was then applied to track the way the user’s fingertips moved to solve the pattern.

The researchers used 120 patterns to demonstrate the success of the hack. Android users can attempt to unlock the Pattern Lock screen five times before the phone is locked. In over 95% of trials, researchers studying the potential hack were able to unlock the phone within that five-try limit. Even users with complex patterns weren’t protected; researchers cracked the pattern on these screens 97.5% of the time.

How You Can Protect Yourself

To protect yourself from this hack, you should cover your hands when entering your passcode in public or else lower your screen brightness.

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Read More: How to Set Up Fingerprint Authorization for Google Play

This year, Sony phones that are launching in the United States don’t have a fingerprint sensor, despite the same phone being rolled out with this kind of biometric authentication around the world. Nonetheless, Sony will be rolling out its Xperia XZ Premium and XZs models.

Why These Phones Won’t Include Fingerprint Sensors

In speaking about older phones, Sony argued that Americans simply didn’t want fingerprint sensors, suggesting that the decision not to include the sensors was all business-related. But now, Sony says that the company can’t sell the phones in the United States if they want to continue doing business in the country. Specifically, they are prohibited from shipping fingerprint sensor-enabled phones in America.

What This Means For Sony

Sony wasn’t clear about exactly why they couldn’t sell fingerprint sensor-enabled phones in the United States. Sony officials said there was some discord with U.S. phone carriers, such as Verizon. The fear was that these phones could become unlocked, meaning that customers from any carrier could purchase Sony products.

While all of the details are still unknown, it is likely that, at some point, Sony made a bad deal with U.S. phone companies, and that these companies didn’t want them to sell the fingerprint sensor-enabled phones. And what’s most bizarre is that Sony’s phones that were shipped to the United States do have fingerprint sensors. However, these sensors are disabled. Sadly at this point, you’ll have to wait for someone to find a way to re-enable the Sony fingerprint sensor before purchasing a device.

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However, if you enable the anti-theft feature before your phone is stolen, you’ll be able to track, block, locate user device, and even erase all of your data remotely in case of loss or theft. With just the push of a button, all confidential material will be eradicated from your phone, and you will no longer be vulnerable to data infiltration. Click here to enable the anti-theft feature on your device now:

Losing your phone can be especially catastrophic if you have confidential material stored in it. As a result, it is imperative that you store all of your precious information in a cloud service, and back up your phone regularly. You should be prepared to erase all data on your phone if you know your phone has been stolen.

The Parts are Valuable

Thieves love smartphones that don’t have cracks in them. A solid, clear, scratch-less phone screen can go on the black market for a solid amount of money. There are also removable SIM cards that can be sold as well, besides other parts. The phone itself can also be reset to its factory settings and then sold, all for a fraction of the original retail price, while the thief still makes a hefty profit.

The Various Functions of the Phone

There are several applications and functions on a cellular device — you don’t necessarily need texting or mobile service to perform many of the useful tools that come with the cell phone. For instance, your device can serve as a calendar, alarm clock, and many others. Plus, there are endless games that can be played on a smartphone, so a thief will have no shortage of fun if they get their hands on your device.

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