antitheft - PSafe Blog

Lost Android? Locate or Wipe it with Android Device Manager

PSafe Newsroom — Tue, 10 Oct 2017 13:00:22 +0000

Recently changed to Find My Device, the Google Play application formerly known as Android Device Manager is a more useful tool than its new name may initially suggest. It not only allows a user to track down their device, as the name implies, but also carries a few other functions that can ensure their personal information is protected. Luckily, you can already wipe or locate your device as long as you have the anti-theft feature activated. Click here to activate anti-theft so that your information is protected in the event of loss or theft:

Android Device Manager originally debuted in 2013 on the Google Play Store as a helpful app for managing lost or stolen devices. It was updated earlier this year, but the app still functions virtually the same as before with the sole purpose being to secure the device.

The app needs a few requirements to work properly: its GPS needs to be active, as does its data or Wi-Fi connection and the application itself. You can use Find My Device from a computer or another device by going online and signing into your Google account. Find My Device will show the last sign-in location and offer you several options on how to proceed. Like anti-theft, you can either order the device to play a sound so you can find it if it is nearby, place a lock on it so no one can access it, or erase all your data permanently so that no one can get into your information.

There is a big, glaring problem with this setup, however; if your device was already broken into, there is not much else you can do. If someone finds your phone and gains access to your data before you activate the app, then the damage will have already been done. That is why it is important to be mindful of any devices you have on you at all times and ensure you have taken the proper steps to protect them beforehand.

Why anti-theft?
A potential alternative to Find My Device is to use the anti-theft feature instead. It works similarly and operates from your Google account as well, but has a big advantage in that it will still send any “lock” or “erase” commands even if the device is disconnected. The message will be saved until it reconnects, and if someone tries to access your information online, you can stop them before they have a chance to break through. In addition to locating and protecting your device, the anti-theft function can also detect if the SIM card has been altered in any way. Also, remember to contact the authorities if you believe your phone has been stolen or was picked up by someone you do not know, and never try to recover it yourself.

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Protecting Your Financial Information When Traveling Abroad

PSafe Newsroom — Tue, 22 Aug 2017 13:00:00 +0000

Traveling abroad is an exciting and engaging experience, and you never want to catch yourself saying no to any situations because you are worried about losing valuable financial information. An easy way for others to steal your financial information is through your phone when it is connected to an unsafe Wi-Fi network. This is especially dangerous to do in foreign countries, where you are constantly connecting to any new Wi-Fi networks you can find so you can look up the next good place to eat, shop, or grab a cup of coffee. So, is the solution to simply not connect to the Internet when traveling abroad? No, of course not. Click here to use anti-hacking to remain safe online, no matter where you are:

As you might guess, most places offer Internet with no ulterior motive (besides luring you into the cafe, to begin with). But even with the best of intentions, a network can still be unsafe to use. That is why it is best to take advantage of the Anti-Hacking tool if you are using networks you don’t necessarily trust or know, or even when you’re using your own personal Wi-Fi network. anti-hacking will block you from unsafe or malicious websites, and protect you against phishing attempts. That way, you never have to worry about someone else accessing your personal information.

Of course, even with anti-hacking in place, it is better to err on the side of caution. anti-hacking can protect you from entering your personal information on an unsafe website, but it does not protect against human error. It is important to keep your cell phone on you at all times, and it might be wise to not use sensitive apps (such as banking apps) while you are abroad.

If your phone is stolen, it is important that whoever gets it can do the least amount of damage possible. Before you travel abroad, make sure to activate the anti-theft feature so that you can remotely protect your device, even if it’s (literally) out of your hands. Click here to activate anti-theft now:

Debit and credit cards are susceptible to theft as well and in more than just one way. Identity thieves might be able to access the information you put into an ATM by installing a card reader, thus successfully taking your card number and pin. For this reason, it is best to exclusively use ATMs inside a bank, which have a much higher level of security and attentiveness.

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What Should You Do After Losing Your Phone?

PSafe Newsroom — Tue, 02 May 2017 16:00:50 +0000

You have a lot of valuable data on your smartphone: dozens of apps, conversations, personal information, account information, contacts, documents, notes, photos, and your banking app, among others. You may even have a credit card or debit card attached to some of those apps. That’s why it’s important to not let your information fall into the wrong hands by taking measures to ensure that your data is safe in the event of loss or theft. Activate DFNDR’s Anti-Theft feature to keep your device and personal information secure:

Anti-Theft will allow you to remotely block thieves from accessing your device, sound an alarm (if you’ve lost it closeby), track your device, and erase all of your personal information. If you activate Anti-Theft on your device in advance, then the first thing that you should do after losing your device should be to take advantage of its benefits to protect your phone.

How to Use Anti-Theft After Losing Your Device

Go to https://my.psafe.com
Log in with the Google account that you used for Anti-Theft.
From here you can access the “delete data,” “block,” “sound alarm,” and “locate” functions. Simply click on whichever function you want to perform and confirm the action.
If your phone is turned off or not connected to the Internet, a window will appear informing you that your request will not be completed until your phone is back online.

Depending on where you lost your phone — such as if you’ve simply misplaced it — you may want to start with sounding an alarm or locating your device. However, if you’ve lost it on the subway or somewhere more public, you should enable the “block” function to protect your personal information. Even though a kind individual may have found your phone and could be waiting for you to call or text him/her about your missing device, you still don’t want them to have access to all of your information. Next, try to locate your phone. If you believe that your phone has been stolen, and that you’re not likely to get it back, then you should delete all of the data from your device.

Protect Your Phone in Advance

Advanced Protection is another feature that can protect your device in the event that it is lost or stolen. Once activated, this feature will prevent thieves and hackers from breaking into your device and disabling DFNDR’s security system. It will also keep malware from disabling your phone’s security system. Advanced Protection will make sure that all of your photos, conversations, apps, and personal information are protected. Click here to activa Advanced Protection:

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Kim Kardashian Losing 2 Phones May Be Worse Than Stolen Jewels

PSafe Newsroom — Wed, 05 Oct 2016 22:50:44 +0000

Following Paris Fashion Week, Kim told officials that she was held at gunpoint around 2:30am Paris local time at a ‘private residence’ Monday morning. In addition to millions of dollars in jewelry stolen, the gunmen got away with 2 phones, sparking fear that her private information could be leaked. PSafe’s Antitheft offers an app for this very situation to erase data remotely stopping thieves in their tracks.

In a meeting with the Emilio Simoni, Senior Security Researcher at PSafe, he addressed that many things could occur when a phone is stolen, particularly when it comes to a celebrity breach. One motive may be to capitalize on the fear of leaked photos, numbers, and other sensitive information the celebrity stored on their device. Another motive may be to sell the celebrity’s personal information altogether.

The gunmen are still at large and with no leads, the reality star could face public humiliation if personal photos and information is leaked to the public.

In 2014, over 100 celebrity phones were hacked where hackers leaked nude photos for public consumption. It included A-listers, notably Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Lawrence. Many of the celebs only knew about the leak when there were reports in the media. Others took to social networks where they learned the news.

What to do now:
Stay protected. This could happen to anyone.
Download an Anti-theft to keep your Android device protected from hackers in the event of loss or theft by clearing data remotely. You may also track your phone’s location, block your phone with an access code and disable the power off menu so other people can’t turn off the device unless they know the password.

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How to Maintain Security on Your Android Phone

PSafe Newsroom — Fri, 29 Jul 2016 20:51:48 +0000

Today, our phones are everything. They’re where we access our addresses (using the map features), our emails, our bank accounts, and much more. Our first line of defense and our most basic form of protection is our lock screen password. Here are some tips on how to make the password on your android device more secure.

Passwords are now easier to crack than ever because of programs that search for word patterns. Most of us capitalize the first letter of our password and then add a number to the end of it, but these patterns in particular have become very easy to detect. On an Android phone, you can make both numeric and alphabetic passwords. Use this feature to create a password that doesn’t use simple dictionary words or names.

Android allows you to create a password that is up to 16 characters in length, so try to make a password that is as long as possible. Also, if you do choose to create an alphabetic password, make sure your pattern is different than your other passwords for your other accounts. To change your password on an Android, Tap Settings, then Security, then Screen lock, and then tap either Pin or Password and follow the steps you are prompted with.

If word or numerical passwords aren’t your choice, then you can also use a lock pattern. Just be aware that if someone steals your phone or finds it somewhere, they may try to detect your pattern by looking at which areas of your screen have the most fingerprints. To avoid this potential issue, make sure your password is complex and that when you look at your phone, you couldn’t deduce your password just from looking at the screen.

A good password will often deter a hacker, thief, or cybercriminal, but it’s not enough to ensure your phone’s complete safety. To add an extra layer of protection, be sure to download PSafe Total for Android. While a thief tries to deduce your password, you could be blocking or erasing all of your data with PSafe Total’s anti-theft feature.

Additionally, keep in mind that DFNDR´s Applock feature offers a second level of password security, even if your main lock screen does end up being hacked. Vault allows you to individually lock important apps like Facebook and Gmail with a second password, creating a secure environment that is practically impossible for hackers or phone thieves to get through. If you’re looking for peace of mind, download PSafe Total.

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