Comments on: Poll: Do You Lock Your Smart Phones?

By: Jake

Jake — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 04:17:34 +0000

Good thinking, I'm still a bit bewildered by the number of people who don't do this. I usually err on the side of paranoia though.

By: chris

chris — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 03:42:30 +0000

Yes, the treo 680 has the option to lock with a PIN. I set that up the day I got it. For me, it was a convenient replacement to my Tungsten T2 and I am a bit paranoid about all my contact info falling into the wrong hands (because it has that other kind of data you described buried inside some of the “contacts”

By: Jake

Jake — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 03:28:05 +0000

Does that have a PIN option? My wife had one of those, but I don't recall that option. Didn't really look though.

By: Jake

Jake — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 03:26:30 +0000

Read your comment a bit quickly the first time.

I wish I could change my root password without violating the terms. I can't believe there isn't 1) an approved way to do this and 2) a remote wipe app that isn't dependent on Exchange.

Please correct me. Seriously, these are both must haves for me.

By: Allen Hoke

Allen Hoke — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 03:18:44 +0000

Yes – I have a Treo 680 (PalmOS).

By: Jake

Jake — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 23:08:16 +0000

The iPhone was hacked a couple months after it was released. There were a couple ways to take control of one, and obviously, jailbreaking/unlocking are considered hacks, too.

Your tip about changing the root password is a good one that I've heard before, and thought about doing. Adding to my to do list.

I think you can get an app that does a remote kill on private data, not recalling the name right now, but it's definitely one (of few) for which I'd pay.

By: Jake

Jake — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 23:04:30 +0000

I had my iPhone for over a year before it dawned on me that I should lock that puppy. Even after I misplaced it and felt the cold panic attack, it still didn't dawn on me to lock it.

Interesting workplace story.

By: Terry

Terry — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 12:49:53 +0000

Well, up till now I haven't formed the habit to lock phone. But I do lock my Computers.

I think it makes sense. iPhone or other smart phones contain so many private data...

Also, if OpenSSH is installed on iPhone, it's better to shutdown the service or change the default root password to a strong one, or the iphone's gonna be hacked...^_^

I guess it also makes sense for Apple to place an self-destroy app inside the OS X mobile system so that all data can be wiped off once it get lost...

By: Dan Norris

Dan Norris — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 08:50:24 +0000

Until recently, the circa-1998-style phone I used didn't have any valuable information or access in it, just phone numbers. So, I didn't really think about it when I got a smart phone; that is, until I read your post. Thanks for the reminder–I'm usually the one leading the charge on security and am ever-vigilant about locking my screen. I set up my passcode just a minute ago and feel much better now.

I once worked in a place where they had a points system and if you lost enough points (being caught without a locked screen was the most common way to lose points), it was grounds for terminating employment. I don't think it happened to anyone, but it certainly kept everyone on guard. It was, after all, in a classified government facility, so good reason to keep the secret stuff secret.

By: Jake

Jake — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 04:34:02 +0000

That makes sense, and I'm sure there are lots of IT departments out there that do the same. It gets dicey when you carry a smart phone that's not “for work”, e.g. an iPhone.

I assume you would do the same for a personal smart phone too?

By: ontarioemperor

ontarioemperor — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 04:21:23 +0000

My employer (who happens to manufacture smart phones) requires that its employees lock company-issued smart phones. Employee setup of a smart phone includes mandatory specification of a password.

By: Jake

Jake — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 04:16:05 +0000

Excellent point, that probably increases the likelihood of loss too, making the password even more helpful.

I really don't understand why you *wouldn't* use the password lock on a smart phone. Aside from laziness, I haven't seen a good use case yet.

By: jpiwowar

jpiwowar — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 03:10:54 +0000

Oh yes, I lock my smart phone. Even if I weren't concerned about ID theft, there's still a very compelling reason: I have a 2.5-year-old. Who knows that Daddy's iPhone “pays moosic,” shows “pitchas uv ME!” and has a lot of colorful buttons that do neat things when you touch them. W/o a password lock, it's only a matter of time before random contacts start getting unintelligible spam, or blurry photos of stuffed animals, or something worse.