STAY PHONE SAFE

PREVENT your phone from being stolen

Phone theft is rising, particularly in cities. Organised criminals target phones – they have a high re-sale value and contain personal data as well as access to financial information that thieves can quickly and easily exploit. Thieves on bikes or scooters are fast: they will grab your phone from your hand and be off before you can catch them. A criminal can move through a busy bar swiping phones from tables and pockets without anybody noticing. Your phone is a target, so don’t make it easy for them.

• Don’t leave your phone out on a table or within easy reach. If you can see it, they can too
• Be aware of your surroundings when using your phone. If you’re on public transport or walking down the road, your mind is on the conversation you’re having, not on the thief who’s spotted you
• Don’t be a target. If you’re on the phone by an open car window or holding your phone out in front of you on loud speaker, it’s easy to snatch
• Stand close to a wall or building when using your phone, away from the road
• If you use a PIN to open your phone, type it in discretely – don’t let a thief see you do it
• Bags and pockets – if you can zip them up, do; keep your device secure and don’t put your phone in an easy to access pocket
• Think about using a case with a wrist strap or phone grip to make snatching harder
• Avoid posting real-time location on social media
• Use privacy screen protectors to prevent shoulder surfing

These preventative measures seem obvious, but think of how often you see them being ignored. It's your phone – keep it safe.

PROTECT access to your phone if it is stolen

BACK IT UP

Automatically back up everything on your phone – that way you can recover it if your phone it taken. (Just think of all those photos…) It will also help you set back up quickly and means that if you have to remotely wipe your device, you won’t lose anything on it.

How to back up your:

• iPhone – watch this video for a quick how-to for iCloud. You can also search for how to back up your iPhone without iCloud
• Android – watch this video for a quick how-to for Google Drive. You can also search for how to back up your Android phone without Google Drive

LOCK IT DOWN

Fingers and faces are more secure than PINs. Most phones support facial and/or fingerprint recognition (those made before 2017 might not) – this makes it much harder for a thief to gain access to your phone.

Set up facial or fingerprint recognition on your:

• iPhone – visit this page on Apple’s website to set up Face ID. Or this page for fingerprint ID
• Android – there is no one source of information as there are multiple manufacturers. You can open your phone’s settings and search for “face” or “fingerprint”; alternatively, search your manufacturer’s website

NOW LOCK IT DOWN SOME MORE

Just because your phone is locked, it doesn’t mean that it can’t be opened. Both iPhone and Android offer preview notifications of text messages, emails and various apps – should any messages contain password reset or authentication codes, they can be seen.

Plus the Control Centre on an iPhone can still be accessed as standard, which means a thief can put your phone in Airplane Mode which makes it untraceable on Find My iPhone or even turn it off to connect it by a cable to a computer to try and extract your data. These are tactics often used as soon as the phone has been stolen.

You can prevent these by blocking access to your Control Centre when your phone is locked and, on some Android devices, by requiring a PIN to turn off your phone. These extra precautions can make all the difference if your phone is stolen.

To activate these:

• iPhone – watch this video to block access to your Control Centre when your phone is locked. And this video for how to block notifications on your lock screen
• Android – it depends on the model of your phone. Take a look in Settings / Notifications or simply search online for how to do it

AND FOR EXTRA MEASURE…

It’s also a good idea to lock access to your SIM card by turning on your SIM PIN. This means that your SIM cannot be used if it’s stolen. You will only be prompted for the SIM PIN when you re-start your phone or insert the SIM into a new device.

Your default SIM PIN can usually be found on the plastic card the SIM came with – you will be able to change this. If you cannot find your SIM PIN you will need to contact your network provider.

• iPhone – this video shows you how to do it
• Android – as ever, the menus on Android phones differ. It’s usually in Settings / Security and Privacy, but it’s worth searching online for a how-to for your specific phone

KNOW WHERE YOUR PHONE IS (EVEN WHEN YOU DON’T)

If your phone is taken, you can track it and even wipe its contents remotely, ensuring that the thief who took it cannot use its contents. (Make sure your device is backed up.)

• iPhone – follow these instructions to turn on Find My iPhone
• Android – search for ‘Find my Device’ for your model and follow the instructions

You can log in from any browser on another device in order to locate or disable/wipe a missing device.

MAKE A NOTE OF YOUR IMEI NUMBER

This is a unique number that identifies your phone. You can use it when reporting a theft and your network provider needs it to block your phone.

• Both iPhone and Android – find your IMEI number by dialing *#06# on your phone’s keypad and keep it somewhere safe

APPLY ADDITIONAL AUTHENTICATION TO KEY APPS

Two-factor authentication (2FA) helps protect your accounts as it requires two ways to verify who you are. You can set this up using authenticator apps like Microsoft Authenticator, or Google Authenticator.

• iPhone – most accounts (like Apple Pay) already have 2FA set up; however, you can also add it to your Apple Account. Learn more about it here
• Android – devices differ and so you should search online. Here are links to information for the most popular Android devices:
  • Samsung
  • Google

ADD YOUR MEDICAL ID TO THE LOCK SCREEN

Aside from providing critical health information. you can also display your Emergency Contact on the lock screen – that way if your phone is found, someone can message them.

• iPhone – you do this in the Health app. Full instructions are here
• Android - devices differ and so you should search your manufacturer’s website

The above steps will increase security on your phone and decrease the likelihood of a thief gaining access to your device. You should, of course, make sure Software Updates are switched on and check your manufacturer’s website for all the security features your phone offers.

• iPhone – watch this video to turn on Stolen Device Protection
• Android – check out your manufacturer's website

REPORT the theft of your phone

If your phone is stolen, there are several steps you should take – and you should take them quickly.

TRACE AND WIPE

Assuming you have activated the steps above, you will be able to ‘Find’ your device and, if necessary, wipe it of all its information.

TELL THE POLICE

Let the Police know; you will need a crime number for any insurance claim.

CONTACT YOUR NETWORK PROVIDER

They can block the SIM and the IMEI.

NOTIFY BANKS AND PAYMENT PROVIDERS

In many cases, your phone is the same as your bank card – if you lose that, you tell the bank. This is the same.

CHANGE YOUR PASSWORDS

Your email, socials and financial apps could be compromised so change their passwords straight away.

TELL YOUR INSURANCE COMPANY

If your phone is insured, you’ll need to file a claim

TELL YOUR EMPLOYER

If it’s a company phone, make sure they are informed. If your phone is company enrolled, your service desk should be able to initiate a wipe of the device.

You should also be aware that the impacts don’t stop with the theft itself. Criminals fully intend to maximise what they take advantage of and it's not unusual for the following to happen post theft:

• Phishing Attacks Post-Theft - Victims often receive phishing texts or emails impersonating official services, aiming to steal credentials
• Data Exposure Risks - Stolen phones contain sensitive data like photos, banking apps, and passwords, increasing risk of identity theft and fraud
• Account Takeover - Access to email can enable password resets for banking and social media accounts, leading to cascading compromises
• Organised Cybercrime Networks - Stolen phones enter global resale markets, fuelling SIM swapping and identity fraud

If you have any Cyber Security concerns, always report them right away to your Cyber team and they will support you.

Following all the tips we have shared will mean that if your phone is ever snatched by a criminal – the lasting damage should be minimal. Take the time to set them up today and you could avoid a difficult tomorrow.