Don't Stop at Password Protection: Encrypt

It is very normal for an individual to assume that once they have password protected their smartphone, or computer, and tablet, that there data is safe and no one can gain access to it. In fact, somewhere on the streets of Nairobi there is a clueless fellow walking with a swagger feeling all so proud precisely because of this false security of password protection.  Surely no one can get past that password, it was complicated enough for him to come up with and to remember so there is no way anyone will be able to crack it and gain access to his private data or the sensitive company files stored therein. Right? Wrong! 
 

Unlike your average pick pocket or petty thief whose main objective for stealing your smartphone is to resell it for the money…there is a new brand of thief who is tech savvy and after so much more than just the few bobs he can get from reselling you device. He wants more. He wants your entire life - you bank accounts, you family members’ contacts, your car, your house, your wife - in fact if he can just have your entire identity then he will be sorted for life.  

So while the average thief will steal your smartphone, format/wipe it and resell it, the real value for the tech savvy thief is what  is stored  within and he is sharp enough - or knows someone who is - to get it.  

So how do you protect yourself against this smarter-than-average thief, how do you move beyond simple password locking of your devices and into a more secure space which will have this guy scratching himself bald? 

How about encrypting your data? Encrypting your data makes it so much harder for someone to access your data and could mean the difference between a minor inconvenience and you spending countless hours on the phone, in traffic and shuttling from one government office to another trying to restore your identity, not a nice experience in Kenya believe me.

Encryption has been around since ancient Egyptian times in the form of non-standard hieroglyphs, which was a method of symbolic substitution for words and phrases. It has since evolved over time and grown more sophisticated as technology has evolved bringing with it threats in the form of viruses, hackers and identity thieves and the need to shield against them.  Encryption does not prevent hacking but it reduces the likelihood that the hacker will be able to read the encrypted data.

Again, please note that encryption is not the same as password protecting your device, encryption unlike standard password protection alters your data into an unreadable format that can only be decrypted and read by someone who has the key.  Standard password protection leaves the data as is and someone only has to crack the password or bypass it and they will have access to all your data. When encrypted, your data in basically rendered useless and not worth a dime to the unauthorized eye.

For portable devices like your Smartphones, tables and laptops, encrypting is critical because these devices are easily lost or stolen and thus highly susceptibility to unauthorized data breaches.  If you use your phone to do online banking and shopping most likely you have also stored on it sensitive personal and company information to allow you easy access to this services. You would not want that information falling into the wrong hands would you? Protect you device! Protect yourself and your family!

Different phone makes and models have different procedures and requirements and that is why you need to consult your phone manual.  For the Android users, OS 3.0 and above, the encryption feature is available but the user needs to enable it. Once this feature is enabled (To turn on go to Settings > Security) you will need to enter a passcode into the phone every time you power it on. Be warned however that the process of encrypting and decrypting will affect the general performance of your device because it uses resources on the device.  Depending on how much data you have on the device, when you turn on your phone with encryption, it will take quite some time to decipher all your information before you can use it.

For iOS users, in order to protect your sensitive data, you need to have a passcode turned on. With this on, your phone encrypts your information using the built-in iOS encryption. For further protection, you can have your phone delete all its content if the passcode is entered incorrectly 10 times in a row.

Almost all other smartphones including Blackberry and Windows phones have an encryption feature built into their OS and if not, there are applications available online that you can download to help you do this.   

Don’t put yourself in a vulnerable position by living your data unprotected when there are a combination of protective security measures readily available to you, Encryption being one.