Protecting your cell phone and your life

As we conclude this series on cell phones and the security issues that you need to be aware of, keep in mind that the phone is not in effect the problem, such as the hacker and viruses are not the real issue either.The real issue is you and, I as we need to be constantly mindful of what we do and don’t do with our phones.You see, hackers and viruses will always be here and as the innovation continues to advance and be the main conveyor of our information and lives, it is up to you and I to act as the final authority over our personal information so that it is never compromised and accessible to those who have ill intentions with its use.We must begin to understand that the word privacy and our legal right to privacy is no longer what it once was and has been completely changed by way of governmental changes in the laws relative to the information highway and privacy as a result of terrorism on both the national and international stage, as then as the proliferation of hackers, domestic and foreign.Protecting your personal information on a phone, laptop, iPad and PC, eventually, rests solely with us, not with the security software or the companies that make the software or provide the services allowing us to use the devices.You’re probably thinking, "Is that the end?"Not quite, as there are several other things that you need to be aware of in maintaining the security of your cell phone.Did you know that it is important to in point of fact understand and have confidence in your phone company? It is important to fully understand the contract and the way in which services are being provided to include what those services are.An example is the incident that took place with Paris Hilton and T-Mobile. Paris had a contract with T-Mobile and was using their Sidekick phone. We all know that Paris tends to be somewhat of an exhibitionist and, as the story goes, she took a lot of very personal pictures with her phone.Unfortunately for Paris and the fact that she was not familiar with her phone company’s set-up and rules, she did not know that T-Mobile had a policy and procedure that permitted them to store all of their users’ photos on the company servers. Continued...

A hacker was able to penetrate the T-Mobile server, steal her photos and release them all over the Web. Clearly, the photos were quite racy and explicit. This scenario is meant to point out the obvious, which is you are the greatest protector of your personal information and you need to know what the rules are and how they applied by your service provider, as it pertains to the information that you put on or keep in your phone.Because the cell phone has such incredible mobile capability, it is easy to talk with friends, family and business associates anywhere and anytime.Now what about your privacy? Don’t forget there is a distinct opportunity that your phone frequency could be monitored and your conversations heard without you knowing it.Whatever you do, don’t get too personal in your cell phone conversations. Learn to take your conversations and the extent of your personal information to a certain, safe level and no more.If you need to go furthermore, at that time do so on a face-to-face basis or more secure method. It will be a lot safer and go a long way in protecting your personal information and your life.Other areas that should be considered in dealing with phone security are voicemail, VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) and Wi-Fi protection. If you would like furthermore information on these areas, feel free to contact me and I will give you the 4-1-1.In the end, you and you alone, are the final solution in protecting your cell phone and any other device that comes pursuant to this agreement the information innovation banner.Think, first about what you are saying and doing when using your phone and stay away from getting too caught up in letting your personal information flow too freely.Andino Ward is vice president of marketing and operations of Bardissi Enterprises in Hatfield. Bardissi Enterprises welcomes your questions or comments. Questions you would like answered or topics you would like discussed should be sent to Andino R. Ward at award@bardissi.net. You can as well visit www.bardissi.net, or call 853-2266.

As we conclude this series on cell phones and the security issues that you need to be aware of, keep in mind that the phone is not in effect the problem, such as the hacker and viruses are not the real issue either.The real issue is you and, I as we need to be constantly mindful of what we do and don’t do with our phones.You see, hackers and viruses will always be here and as the research continues to advance and be the main conveyor of our information and lives, it is up to you and I to act as the final authority over our personal information so that it is never compromised and accessible to those who have ill intentions with its use.We must begin to understand that the word privacy and our legal right to privacy is no longer what it once was and has been completely changed by way of governmental changes in the laws relative to the information highway and privacy as a result of terrorism on both the national and international stage, as so then as the proliferation of hackers, domestic and foreign.Protecting your personal information on a phone, laptop, iPad and PC, in the long run, rests solely with us, not with the security software or the companies that make the software or provide the services allowing us to use the devices.You’re probably thinking, "Is that the end?"Not quite, as there are several other things that you need to be aware of in maintaining the security of your cell phone.Did you know that it is important to in point of fact understand and have confidence in your phone company? It is important to fully understand the contract and the way in which services are being provided to include what those services are.An example is the incident that took place with Paris Hilton and T-Mobile. Paris had a contract with T-Mobile and was using their Sidekick phone. We all know that Paris tends to be somewhat of an exhibitionist and, as the story goes, she took a lot of very personal pictures with her phone.Unfortunately for Paris and the fact that she was not familiar with her phone company’s set-up and rules, she did not know that T-Mobile had a policy and procedure that permitted them to store all of their users’ photos on the company servers.A hacker was able to penetrate the T-Mobile server, steal her photos and release them all over the Web. Clearly, the photos were quite racy and explicit. This scenario is meant to point out the obvious, which is you are the greatest protector of your personal information and you need to know what the rules are and how they applied by your service provider, as it pertains to the information that you put on or keep in your phone.Because the cell phone has such incredible mobile capability, it is easy to talk with friends, family and business associates anywhere and anytime.Now what about your privacy? Don’t forget there is a distinct opportunity that your phone frequency could be monitored and your conversations heard without you knowing it.Whatever you do, don’t get too personal in your cell phone conversations. Learn to take your conversations and the extent of your personal information to a certain, safe level and no more.If you need to go furthermore, at that time do so on a face-to-face basis or more secure method. It will be a lot safer and go a long way in protecting your personal information and your life.Other areas that should be considered in dealing with phone security are voicemail, VoIP and Wi-Fi protection. If you would like furthermore information on these areas, feel free to contact me and I will give you the 4-1-1.In the end, you and you alone, are the final solution in protecting your cell phone and any other device that comes pursuant to this agreement the information innovation banner.Think, first about what you are saying and doing when using your phone and stay away from getting too caught up in letting your personal information flow too freely.Andino Ward is vice president of marketing and operations of Bardissi Enterprises in Hatfield. Bardissi Enterprises welcomes your questions or comments. Questions you would like answered or topics you would like discussed should be sent to Andino R. Ward at award@bardissi.net. You can as well visit www.bardissi.net, or call 853-2266.