Google Wallet Hacked Again: This time it's scarier - simple and no root needed

[Dusty]

If you receive personal emails on your phone then you are using it as a sensitive data access point. Unless you don't mind allowing someone who finds your phone to have access to a treasure trove of data. Contacts, photos, your home address, your personal calendar (that instantly tells when you'll be away from home), etc. Within minutes, long before you can get to a computer to change your email password a mysterious evil-do'er could find out just about everything about you. An email keyword search only takes a few seconds. They could probably beat you to your home to clean you out! OK... OK... That's a bit over-dramatic, I know. But even something as seemingly innocuous as private email is pretty sensitive and you should lock your phone. Unless you don't receive emails to your smartphone, and if you don't do you really need one?

But hey, that's your business. Do what you like.

[aqworldthunder]

Sorry to tell this to you but any security can be hacked it just get's more difficult the easiest to hack is the site's without shadow then one's with shadow and then one's with multiple security programs & shadow.

-AqworldThunder ^…^ ¶.¶ *.* Thank me if i helped please!

[RyanPm40]

Haha I don't care if people read my e-mails, I have nothing to hide in there :P

[Dusty]

Haha I don't care if people read my e-mails, I have nothing to hide in there :P

That's not the point. Within a few minutes of looking through your emails someone could easily find your home address and the next time you won't be home. This is basic security. That's like saying you don't lock the front door of your house because you have nothing to hide! THINK! You could misplace your phone someone could get info on you and turn it in. You'd get your phone back some time later, and not even realize that you just got cased. Even of you don't use Google Wallet there are things far more damaging that someone with ulterior motives could glean from a smartphone with no lock.

Look, it's just a good idea to activate the lockscreen. It can't stop a specialist, but it will keep the average schiesty individual at bay.

[kodiak799]

That's not the point. Within a few minutes of looking through your emails someone could easily find your home address and the next time you won't be home.

Doubtful on my home address - they'd really have to search and MAYBE find an amazon receipt with my address. Calendar is fairly unreliable - some things they may discern I'm not home, but not always. You're also talking a much more non-passive act to break into a home, that likely has security and a much higher risk of being nabbed by the cops (or worse). And the vast majority of people who might find your phone are unlikely to commit serious damage like identify theft or casing your house - but the CC info is a much easier target. The worst that would typically happen would be placing some calls to India or wherever (or perhaps if you had some compromising photos or video it would wind-up on the internet).

And if I actually lose my phone or computer, I'll likely realize it before any real damage can be done. But the problem with credit card/bank account theft, besides being passive, is the information can be out there for months (even years) waiting to be sold without your knowledge.

There's already enough information about you on the internet that locking your phone doesn't really offer additional protection. What people put unnecessarily at risk are banking and financial data, perhaps some private data on an email that could be used for identify theft - none of that necessary to have on your phone or in an email account.

[aqworldthunder]

Well, there's not enough information on the internet to really screw you over, but anything can be hacked like Ps3 their security is better and they got hacked last easter and stole about everyone's on psn credit card, and still haven't been, hacking is getting into the system, and getting away or delaying it, the psn hackers left all trails and easily hot millons of dollars..

-AqworldThunder ^…^ ¶.¶ *.* Thank me if i helped please!

[Dusty]

@Kodiak799: So you're saying that locking your phone is useless and people shouldn't bother... Not even as a precaution.

Worst. Advice. Ever.

Different strokes for different folks I guess.

[aqworldthunder]

Well, no I'm just saying don't relay on it all you have to do is find the security file and delete it, Personally all I would need is a usb and less than 5 mins. Just don't leave your phone in a easily accessed place, don't leave any information or email's that involve's your bank or anything relating.

-AqworldThunder ^…^ ¶.¶ *.* Thank me if i helped please!

[aqworldthunder]

Also you should go to market and download "Motion Detector" on your phone. Basically set this up before leaving (If leaving phone home) and if it see's anything that goes in front of camera it takes pictures/videos and sends it to your email and can be sent to show it to someone you trust like a family member.

-AqworldThunder ^…^ ¶.¶ *.* Thank me if i helped please!

[Dusty]

It's not just about protecting your finances. There are some WEIRD random people in the world. If you live in a major metropolitan area you see them wandering around on the daily basis. Look, I love my fellow human being as much as the next guy. But there are some folks that I'd just feel better about if they didn't have my phone number, address, work location or anything else. Not because they'll harm me or steal... but they might do something weird. Locking your phone to protect it from the average random person is just good business.

Hypothetical... ask ANY woman how she would feel if she went out for the evening and lost her phone. The next day a gentleman from whom she got a weird vibe from showed up at her apartment to return her phone by looking up the info on her unlocked phone. Even if nothing happened she would most likely say she felt uncomfortable. And it is an avoidable thing.

It's not just about credit cards... it's about random MFs. Locking your phone isn't just about protecting yourself from Joe Credit Card Superhacker. It's about keeping someone who wouldn't normally have the knowledge to access to your private information from accessing your information effortlessly. I'm not saying that everyone in the world is a predator searching for their next victim, but it's just in your best interest to, at the very least, take this one small step in personal security. You never know. You just NEVER know.