Paperclips can be used to circumvent iPhone pass-codes, fridge magnets once unlocked iPads and malicious apps occasionally snatch our passwords. There are security threats everywhere, but it turns out that we, not some hackers or silly tricks, are our own worst enemies. According to a report, most of us don't even bother automatically locking our devices with a password.
ZDNet's Rachel King explains that a report put together by anti-malware company ESET and Harris Interactive shows just how sloppy some of us are when it comes to securing our gadgets. Since the report is based on the habits of individuals who have personally own computing devices that are used for work-related purposes, one would think that everyone surveyed is extra careful about their security habits.
But the results show otherwise:
- Less than 10% of people currently using their own tablets for work have auto-locking enabled.
- People were more security-savvy about their smartphones, with 25 percent using auto-lock.
- One third of laptop users have auto-locking enabled, whch means two thirds do not.
- Auto-locking with password protection was enabled by less than half of laptop users, less than a third of smartphone users, and only one in 10 tablet users.
Scary, no? Using an auto-lock feature on your laptop, smartphone or tablet is a wise idea. After all, how often would you actually remember to lock the device manually?
So set up some strong passwords, turn on the auto-lock features and you can sleep a bit more easily (unless you're an iPhone owner and there's a paperclip nearby).