Inbox : Remember to lock those phones!

Only 18 percent of Kiwis always lock their mobile phones and the rest are risking identity theft, according to new research from Unisys.
“Employers need to realise that it isn’t just the user of the phone who is at risk, but also the organisations they work for – especially since many of us use the same device in both our work and personal life,” says Brett Hodgson, managing director of Unisys New Zealand.
The results from the latest Unisys Security Index also show that six out of 10 (59 percent) New Zealanders never secure their mobiles, PDAs or smartphones by using, and regularly changing, password or PIN.
The survey also showed only 35 percent always use hard-to-guess passwords which are changed regularly when using the internet.
“By not bothering to lock their mobile devices with password or PIN, the majority of New Zealanders are leaving themselves unnecessarily vulnerable to cyber crime and identity theft. Consider the information that many of us keep on our mobile phones: phone numbers, addresses, birthdays and even bank account numbers. It’s information which, in the wrong hands, can be used to recreate your identity,” says Hodgson.
He warns that many organisations have not yet caught up with the security protection and policies that the latest mobile gadgets require.