12 technologies criminals use against us

We shop, we bank, we network, we broadcast, we live through our electronic devices. This is something that criminals know all too well and are always ready to capitalise on, said Elmarie Twilley, spokesperson for the Afrikaans insurance brand, Virseker.

“Stop to think for a minute about how much information you save on and share via your electronic device. 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, e-mails, apps and saved details can lead them to.”

Virseker offers the following tips to avoid becoming a victim:

• As a rule, try to avoid saving sensitive information on your phone or laptop, or taking pictures of sensitive documents.

• Don’t save your home address on your GPS. Rather save it under a different, less obvious name or 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.

• Don’t select for your browser to remember your password.

• Don’t 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 aren’t using them.

• Don’t use hash tags and check-ins that could help criminals identify and locate you. Especially avoid checking in to your home address on social media.

• Don’t accept friend or follow requests from just anyone.

• 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 if your device gets stolen, you can remove sensitive information from it.

• If your cellphone or computer is stolen, immediately change your passwords to prevent unauthorised access.

“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”, concluded Elmarie.

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