Tech habits that help criminals steal more than your devices

In a digital age, electronic devices have become a convenient means to network, bank, shop and broadcast information.

According to the Afrikaans insurance brand, Virseker, this is something criminals are beginning to use to their advantage. “While many criminals are simply interested in stealing these devices and selling them, others are more interested in your digital footprint and what your messages, emails, apps and saved details can lead them to,” said Elmarie Twilley, spokesperson for Virseker.

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Accessing your personal information on your devices can result in criminals stealing a lot more than just the device.

“Stop to think for a minute about how much information you save and share via your electronic device,” Twilley said.

Virseker offers these tips:

• Avoid saving sensitive information on your phone or laptop or photographing sensitive documents
• Do not save your home address on your GPS device. Rather save it under a different, less obvious name. Alternatively, enter the address of a landmark close to your home
• Never leave your gate or alarm remote and/or home keys in your car
• Make sure you have good access protection with strong passwords. Use different passwords for different accounts
• Do not allow your browser to remember your password
• Do not write your passwords or pin codes down, especially not on a piece of paper or in a notebook that is in the same bag as your phone or laptop
• Log out of your devices and apps or lock them when you are not using them
• Do not use hashtags and check-ins that could help criminals identify and locate you. Especially avoid checking in to your home address on social media
• Do not accept friend or follow requests from strangers
• Wipe your devices clean of all personal data before selling them, giving them away or discarding them
• Use a remote device wiping app so that should your device get stolen, you can remove sensitive information from it
• If your cellphone or computer is stolen, immediately change your passwords to prevent unauthorised access.

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“Despite your best efforts, criminals may still get the better of you, so it’s imperative to make sure that you have adequate portable possessions insurance specifically for these devices,” Twilley concluded.

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