7 Precautions to Take Before Your Mobile Phone is Lost or Stolen

CIO — Few things hurt more than losing your mobile phone.

Today's cell-phone user packs hordes of information into his handheld, and much of that info is sensitive: payment card data; passwords; addresses; personal images and video; private corporate information. The list just goes on.

BlackBerry Torch 9800 with Padlock (Image Credit: Brian Sacco)

Fortunately, you can significantly reduce the potential trouble caused by a lost or stolen mobile device, simply by preparing yourself for the situation. Check out the following seven precautions to take before you lose your mobile phone.

1) Secure Your Device with a Password

CIO — Few things hurt more than losing your mobile phone.

Today's cell-phone user packs hordes of information into his handheld, and much of that info is sensitive: payment card data; passwords; addresses; personal images and video; private corporate information. The list just goes on.

BlackBerry Torch 9800 with Padlock (Image Credit: Brian Sacco)

Fortunately, you can significantly reduce the potential trouble caused by a lost or stolen mobile device, simply by preparing yourself for the situation. Check out the following seven precautions to take before you lose your mobile phone.

1) Secure Your Device with a Password

The single most important measure you can take to protect the information stored on your mobile phone is to set a password to lock it. If a malicious party cannot gain access to your phone, he can't make calls using your account, can't use your browser to surf the Web and do as he pleases, can't log in to your applications and impersonate you, can't go digging around for personal information. You get the point.

All major smartphone platforms have built-in password options, and the majority of newer feature-phones, or non-smartphones, also offer some sort of password protection. Break out your phone's user guide or search for it by model number online and figure out how to assign a password. (BlackBerry and iPhone users can find detailed password instruction here and AAPL) ">here, respectively.) The chances of someone accessing the personal information on your cell phone dramatically decrease as soon as you assign a password to protect it.

It may take a while to get used to plugging in a security code every time you want to use your device, or seem like a hassle, but it'll be well worth the effort should you even lose your phone. I promise.

2) Make Mobile-Phone Backup a Priority--and a Habit

Most smartphones and many modern feature phones come with some sort of desktop-based synchronization backup application that enables you to quickly, easily and securely backup information stored on your cell phone. For BlackBerry users, it is Research In Motion's (RIM) BlackBerry Desktop Software. iPhone users get iTunes, etc.

Whatever the application, it's wise to get in the habit of backing up your smartphone every time you plug it into your computer--or more often if you rarely connect your handheld and PC. Many desktop sync programs let you set some sort of "automatic backup" option so your device backs itself up whenever connected to your PC, without any effort on your part. Again, familiarize yourself with your mobile phone's user guide and locate the section on backing up and restoring data.

Remember: The newer the backup, the less information you lose along with a lost or stolen mobile device.

(BlackBerry users can find more information on backing up and restoring data here.)