by Lawrence Feldman 
According to Norton.com, 113 cell phones are lost or stolen every minute in the U.S. This amounts to $7 million worth of smartphones per day. Thieves can really make a living out of this market, but you would be the one left with the bill. Luckily, new technology has made it easier to protect your cell phone, so you can prevent thieves from hacking into your personal files, and even improve your chances of ultimately tracking down your device. Some must-download apps to maximize your phone security include the following.
1. Lookout Mobile Security
No need to worry about hackers with Lookout Mobile Security, a free app that keeps your device safe from mobile threats. From insecure Wi-Fi networks to fraudulent links, Lookout ensures a little malware doesn’t equate to a major disaster. Like BlackBerry Protect, the app allows you to schedule automatic backups to keep your information safe on any device, with an easy restorative feature that reboots your phone in case of a crash or data loss. Lookout can locate your phone even if the GPS is off, and activate a loud alarm even if your phone is on silent.
2. BlackBerry Protect
A free application that keeps your information secure, BlackBerry Protect allows you to log into your own personal account from any device and lock, locate or wipe your smartphone wherever you are. This is not only helpful for days where your new cell phone from BlackBerry is left in a cab or at the bar, but even just for tracking it down if it’s left in your car or at a friend’s house. To keep your information secure, you can automatically back up everything on your phone on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. This service even works wirelessly, so you can use it anytime and anywhere.
3. McAfee Mobile Security
Just like your desktop antivirus, McAfee Mobile Security continually runs in the background of your device, alerting you as frequently as viruses are detected. Although the frequent updates are mostly helpful, PC Mag claims they can get to be too aggressive at times. One of the most unique features of the app is a buddy alert system, which allows you to designate a friend to be contacted when the SIM card is changed. Unlimited cloud-based backup also makes it easy to literally save everything on your phone for a smoother recovery after crashes and losses.
4. LastPass
Instead of keeping track of all of your passwords — or worse — using the same password for every account, keep it simple by only remembering one for your LastPass account. Your sensitive data can only be accessed by your LastPass password, which only you will know. Multiple “profiles” automatically fill in your personal information for you — maximizing time and safety. You can sync your LastPass data across multiple devices, and store any text data in your vault to keep all of your information safe.
Convenience and innovation often comes at a cost of security risks, but app developers are working every day to keep your phone safer and less prone to theft. These free and effective apps can help put you at ease when taking your smartphone out into the world, so you can focus on taking advantage of the benefits, instead of worrying about protecting your device yourself.
Tags : android, blackberry, lastpass, mcafee, mobile security
