Don't lose your smartphone!

What happens to lost cell phones? Security specialist Symantec did a study (PDF):

The Symantec Smartphone Honey Stick Project is an experiment involving 50 "lost" smartphones. Before the smartphones were intentionally lost, a collection of simulated corporate and personal data was placed on them, along with the capability to remotely monitor what happened to them once they were found.

Here is what they found:

1. 96 percent of lost smartphones were accessed by the finders of the devices
2. 89 percent of devices were accessed for personal related apps and information
3. 83 percent of devices were accessed for corporate related apps and information
4. 70 percent of devices were accessed for both business and personal related apps
   and information
5. 50 percent of smartphone finders contacted the owner and provided contact information

My conclusion: if you have valuable information, such as your bank account password, do not put it on you cell phone. The convenience is not worth it.

Hat tip: The LA Times.