Actually, just for a second think about how often you are on your cellphone. Then, think about what you do on your cellphone. Do you purchase or download items from apps such as Amazon, or the Play Store? Do you surf the internet looking for items that might peak your interest? Do you call people to catch up? Do you email clients, or friends? Do you send text messages? On average most people would do at least three of these actions on their phone a day. People think that sending a text message is innocent enough, and that there is no way someone would find the information they are sending to be of any interest, but in actuality, any kind of information you can offer about yourself to a hacker is beneficial. Don't think so? Think about this. When people set up passwords, it is very likely that they will link the password to something specific, maybe a birthday or a special date. That little bit of information that was just sent to your friend can potentially become usable knowledge to a hacker. Therefore everything you do on a phone is sensitive information. The funny thing is, is that the majority of people do not realize just how much information their beloved cellphones share about them on a daily basis, a cellphone doesn't only beam information to cell providers, but it can also give sensitive information to who ever is in the business of mining information for hacking purposes. All it takes is the right information, and knowledge.
A cell phone by nature is programmed to constantly send out probes to look for wireless networks and to interact with all the other signals that come in. This is good for the consumer because it means that we are all constantly connected, but at the same time it can be harmful because these probes made by our phones make it possible for hackers to take advantage and hook onto our networks to steal information. It is actually quite possible for anyone to set up wireless sensors to record the appearance of anyone's cellular probes. These probes show information such as where you currently are, and where you've been- essentially it is an effective GPS system for stalkers. The only piece of information that is needed for such a task is the unique identifier that every cellphone has called the MAC address. Every cellphone has this identifier and in essence it is what separates one Iphone 5 from another Iphone5. A MAC address is special because it always remains the same regardless of the network and can be transmitted whether you're connected to the internet or not.
The bottom line is: Cellphones, as we rely on them more and more for our daily needs it becomes a better and more appealing target to hackers. One little slip, and a user may end up in a lot trouble. Luckily there are ways to protect ourselves from people who seek to harm us. Here are several precautionary actions we should all take to secure our sensitive information. Make sure to set a passcode on your phone, in case you aren't around to keep it secure. Download things from sources that you trust. Install a trusted security app such as Lookout to your device so that you can track where it is when you lose or phone, wipe it remotely, and to scan incoming data while surfing the internet. Also, always be up to speed on security news regarding hacks, and understand how your phone carrier can help you protect your privacy. Be safe everyone!
