security

Watch Out Smartphone, iPhone & Cell Phone Pirates

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cell phone steal back

cell phone steal backSmartphones are expensive and can sold for high sums.  It's easy to sell a stolen smartphone, because the hot phone can be activated on another network, but not after Halloween for GSM smartphones.

The FCC and CTIA are working with police departments to thwart the black market by a stolen smartphone database, education, remote data wipe  and prevention.

Taking smartphones are like taking candy from a baby, the devices are small, worth up to $600 each and can be nabbed from a pocket/purse or coffee house table, easily.  They do have unique EMI numbers that will be traced in the future.

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Google Wallet Open to Pick Pockets

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There have been security problems found in the new Google Wallet service.  If you leave your phone unattended, or if it is lost or stolen, there are ways a thief can use the money credited to Google Wallet.

Zvelo, a security firm, discovered that the Google Wallet PIN, , can be cracked via an exhaustive numerical search and there is an app for that which makes cracking into Google Wallet very easy for hackers. According to Zvelo, the only way to fix the problem is to move the PIN verification to Secure Device (SE), or the NFC chip.  The phone was easy to hack because it was rooted.

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Keep Your Cell & Smartphone Safe During Holidays How to Avoid Loss & Theft

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Keep Cell Phone Safe

Keep Cell Phone SafeThis is a festive time of year with many trips.  It is also the likeliest time when mobile devices are lost in transit. AVG, revealed 35 percent of laptops and 38 percent of mobile phones are lost or stolen while in transit. Unfortunately,  82 percent of lost or stolen devices are never recovered.

Nowadays, calendars, contacts and photos are all stored on your phone which makes a lost or stolen phone a major loss and catastrophe. As a precaution you should always backup your data, media and other important information stored on your phone. You can also follow some simple tips.

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Sprint New Parent Controls Monitor Kids' Use, Text, Apps & Friends

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Sprint launched Sprint Mobile Controls, a service that gives parents a web dashboard where they can see the activity of their children's usage and set limits. Sprint is offering a 30-day free trial. 

Parents Can:

  • Set the phones to lock when they are at school or after bedtime.
  • Lock  a teen's phone on demand during dinner or family time.
  • Gain insight into who the kids' text the most.
  • Choose up to three anytime apps that children can use when their device is locked.

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Carrier IQ? NO: VZW, Nokia, Nexus One/S, Galaxy Nexus & BlackBerry - Yes: Kindle Fire AT&T, Sprint Moto Photon

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You may ask your smart friends what's your IQ, more importantly you should ask your carrier and smartphone maker What is Carrier IQ? Is it on my smartphone?

Carrier IQ is app that reportedly tracks smartphones and secretly recored behavior. Researcher Trevor Eckhar found the Carrier IQ software on an HTC Android smartphone.  It has many people worried about privacy issues.  It can record  dropped calls, battery use and  network problems.  The software maker denies that it can record every keystroke.

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