Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Why you should always password protect your smartphone...

I recently moved to Los Angeles with my girlfriend, and my parents visited this weekend. Over dinner we discussed the California Supreme Court ruling which held that police officers don’t need a warrant to lawfully search mobile phones of arrestees.

All four of us own a smartphone, but I was the only one who encrypted password protected mine. So I obnoxiously brandished my Android device to demonstrate how easy it is to swipe a simple pattern to turn the phone on.

My girlfriend, a UCLA MBA candidate, scoffed that it was inefficient and not worth her time. But I countered that the split-second motion quickly becomes effortless. On the other end, my parents thought they had nothing to hide. (Have I taught these people nothing!?)

For the more cynical among us, Ryan Radia at the Ars Technica blog presents a thorough analysis of the relevant court cases impacting your smartphone privacy rights. He also lays out simple strategies that can protect your mobile device from police searches, even if you’re under arrest. Full story...

Related posts:
  1. Google acquires password-killing startup SlickLogin...
  2. 'Password fatigue' haunts Internet masses...
  3. Why Apple's recent security flaw is so scary...
  4. Apple iPhone 5S: Big Brother's dream comes true...

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