This is why you should ALWAYS use a lock screen and/or remote wipe software.

The security firm Symantec just released the results from their “Smartphone Honey Stick Project”, a project in which 50 smartphones, loaded with fake personal and corporate data were left in and around New York City, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco and Ottawa. The study was to find out what exactly people do when they find a lost smartphone. The phones were left in elevators, food courts, public transit stops and other public areas.

Now time for the results;

96% of lost smartphones were accessed by the finders of the devices

89% of devices were accessed for personal related apps and information

83% of devices were accessed for corporate related apps and information

45% attempted to access corporate email

A file titled “HR Salaries” was accessed on 53% of the devices and a file titled “HR Cases” was accessed on40% of the devices

70% of devices were accessed for both business and personal related apps and information

50% of smartphone finders contacted the owner and provided contact information

Photos were accessed on 72% of the devices

Online banking apps were accessed on 43% of the devices

Social Networking accounts and e-mail was accessed on over 60% of the devices

A file titled “Saved Passwords” was accessed on 57% of the devices

The average time before access was made to the devices was 10.2hrs, median time of 59min

68% of the devices were accessed before being moved from the location they were left at while 32% were moved before being accessed

Of the 50 phones, 5% were moved, but were never accessed during the 7 day study

Of the 50 phones, only 50% reached out to the owner

How many of you are going to use a lock screen after reading this article?

Not going to lie, as soon as I read the initial article I setup my lockscreen to use a PIN.

For iOS users, Apple has their own remote wipe software; Find My iPhone. For us Android users, we have plenty of options, check out the Play Store for a wide selection of free and paid remote wipe apps

Via How-to-Geek

Source Symantec