The demand for mobile phones is consistently increasing as seen in the Garner report where worldwide mobile phone sales totaled 205.4 million units in the third quarter of 2005, a 22 percent increase from the same period last year.  And because of this, mobile phone theft is also increasing.  Research indicated that 10,000 mobile phones are stolen each month that translates to 14 mobile phones every hour or one phone stolen every 4.2 seconds. 

Mobile phone theft is just one problem, we users should also deal with virus and malware threats as phones are becoming more powerful.  Here are some tips to help users avoid mobile threats and losing their phones from thieves:

For Phone Theft:

1.  Do not use your phone in public as much as possible as this will attract attention.  Put it inside your pocket or handbag and put it in silent mode.  Using a mobile phone while walking along the street and in public transport is just asking for it to be snatched.

2.  While driving, keep your mobile phones out of site - whether in use or not.  There are reported incidents of phone snatching where the driver is using the phone and the car window is open and thieves smashing car windows because the phone is in view.

3.  Use your phone's security lock code if it has one (Phone lock, SIM Lock).  Write down your IMEI number as well. 

4.  Report a lost or stolen phone to the authorities (police, NTC) immediately and inform your service provider as well.

5.  If you really need to receive or make a call on your mobile in a public area, make sure you always keep an eye on what's going on around you.  Be more sensitive and observant.  Try to find an area that's well lit as well.

6.  If the thief has a gun or a knife and you're trap and has no other alternative but to surrender your phone - DO IT.  Give your phone and don't even think of resisting.  More often than not, thieves don't act alone and are ready to kill just to get your phone.  Your life is much much more valuable than your phone.  You can always buy a new phone but you live only once.

For Malware threats:

1.  Do not approve or download content to a mobile device from an unknown or unreliable source as they may include software harmful to your phone or PC.  To date, most of the mobile threats available require user approval before it can be executed.

2.  Always keep your Bluetooth connection on hidden mode unless you specifically need to be visible to others.

3.  Make a backup copy of your mobile information specially your address book.  Data loss can be caused by different factors, having a backup will make recovery a lot easier.

4.  Learn more about your phone's functionality.  Most users don't bother to read the manual that comes with the phone.  Knowing your phone will help you protect the device more.

5.  Make sure that the PC you're using for syncing is protected with current anti-virus software.  In most cases, the desktop system can catch infected applications before they are installed on the mobile device.

6.  Install mobile security applications if available.  Keep it updated as well.

7.  If your mobile device gets infected, have it fix in reputable service centers to be assured of quality service.  Most operators and mobile handset manufacturers provide this service.

Protecting your phone is your responsibility.  Knowing the threats and solutions will greatly help you enjoy your phone for a longer time.

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