What happens when you lose your smartphone?

Ever wonder what happens to a lost smartphone? The findings of a new study could give you some pause: in almost nine out of 10 cases, some type of information was accessed by the person who finds it, and there was even odds as to whether or not the finder attempts contact the owner.

Security firm Symantec deliberately “lost” 50 phones in four US cities and Toronto, Canada. The devices were placed in a variety of locations in heavily trafficked areas. Using tracking software, Symantec then monitored each phone’s activity and location. The results are pretty telling.

89% of the phones recorded attempts to access personal information, with photos being the most common single feature accessed (72%). On the corporate side, 83% of the phones had these types of files accessed, with nearly half attempting to log in through a faked “Remote Admin” app. In total, all but two of the phones had some type of data accessed according to the report.

While some may attempt to believe in the good of mankind, consider this: Symantec placed a file on the phones named “Saved Passwords.” 57% of the phones had this file accessed. 43% of the time an online banking app was accessed. While it’s natural to be curious, in some of these cases it seems like some folks’ natural curiosity went a bit too far.

Only half the devices saw attempts by the finder to return the device, even though the device owner was clearly marked within the contacts. “This finding highlights the fact that in many cases, regaining possession of lost device may be a losing battle,” Symantec says in the report.

So what can you do to protect yourself? The most obvious answer is to password protect your device using a password not easily guessed. Additionally, ultra-secure items shouldn’t be kept on your phone. For further advice and more stringent measures, read our guide on securing iOS and Android devices.

Another good idea is to install software that allows you to remotely track or wipe your device. Tracking will drastically increase your chances of recovery, as you will be able to track the location of your devices and provide this to law enforcement if necessary.

If you are more worried about the data on the device than the device itself, remote wipe is for you. While in many cases this also cuts you off from tracking the phone, in the event the device is lost and unrecoverable there is at least some control over the integrity of personal data. Simply put though, the easiest way to prevent problems is to be wary of what’s on your devices in the first place.

What happens when you lose your smartphone?