Get Smartphone Savvy

Smartphones have experienced a huge boom in recent years  – analyst numbers show that last year the market grew by 24%. Our own research shows that around 1 in 4 UK web users access the internet via a mobile web browser, and of these, 20% synchronise their handsets with a home PC, 56% use social networking sites, around 1 in 5 shop, and a further 16% have begun to manage their finances from their phones.

So, clearly, using the internet in this way is becoming common place for many of us.

Over the last few years, we’ve become more risk-aware when it comes to using the web – most of us know now to protect our PCs with the right security software, keep it updated, and are generally more aware of the dangers of sharing too much personal information online. (Find out more about the key trends in our Report.)

In an ideal world, this conscious effort would automatically transfer itself when we start using the web from our mobiles. However, it seems this may not be the case. Research we’ve released today shows that over two-thirds of smartphone users don’t secure their handset with a PIN or password – the most basic security measure and the first line of defence against fraud if your phone falls into the wrong hands. Around 1 in 5 of us have lost our phones or had them stolen, so the risk is very real.

Part of the challenge is that we still think of our phones as phones – in reality, having a smartphone is no different to carrying around a laptop. But, the way the consumer market is structured – low priced handsets offset by long term network contracts, and a regular cycle of relatively affordable upgrades – means that we just don’t place the same value on a lost phone as we would on a lost laptop or stolen PC.  Indeed, most people who lose their phone bemoan the loss of all their contact numbers – which is not great, but potentially only the tip of the iceberg when combined with all the other personal information our phones contain.

Today, Get Safe Online is running a campaign to highlight the risks to smartphone users. As always, it’s not about deterring people, but about getting them to think about their phones in the same way they do their PCs so that they can recognise and navigate the risks. We’ve now updated the website with fresh and comprehensive advice, which you can check out here. 

If you’re a parent, it’s also worth thinking about how your children use their phones – see comments from Dr Tanya Byron yesterday.