As smartphone theft in the UK has more than doubled to 78,000 incidents in the past year alone, Nuke From Orbit is teaming up with ethical hacker Nikhil Rane to arm consumers with practical knowledge to protect their devices and personal data.
Mobile payments are set to become the nation’s preferred transaction method, but new sophisticated theft targets are quickly emerging, where the device is not the target of criminals – but the data therein.
“More people are using mobile phones for their money management, which means convenience and, in some cases, improved financial responsibility. But thieves are exploiting this trend for the value these devices hold,” says James O’Sullivan, CEO and founder of Nuke From Orbit. “Our goal is to empower people with simple, effective ways to protect their mobile devices and create new habits that secure their personal data as we kick off the new year.”
Coinciding with Data Privacy Week (27 to 31 January), and with Change Your Password Day (1 February) approaching, Nuke From Orbit has shared a number of tips to help consumers keep their devices and data safe. The fintech and mobile security platform suggests:
- Enabling multi-factor authentication
- Using strong, unique passwords and avoiding easy-to-guess PINs
- Activating remote tracking and wiping
- Regularly installing security software updates to guard against new threats
- Avoiding public Wi-Fi as unsecured networks are hotspots for cybercrime
“Prevention is always better than recovery,” adds O’Sullivan. “By taking simple steps, consumers can significantly reduce their risk of falling victim.”
The challenge
UK neobanks have recently surpassed traditional banks in app downloads, with 71.78 million Android users. However, over 62 per cent of phone theft victims suffer additional losses beyond their devices. One in five victims face unauthorised access to their mobile banking apps, while one in four experience digital wallet theft.
Statistics from the Crime Survey for England and Wales reveal law enforcement’s growing challenges in tackling phone theft. Only 0.8 per cent of ‘theft from the person’ cases lead to a conviction, while 81.9 per cent of investigations are closed without identifying suspects.
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