There is a lot to keep private on a smartphone: banking information; contacts & addresses; photos & video; emails, texts and more. Consumers have deep attachments to their mobile devices and a concern over the exposure of personal information. And yet, not all consumers take simple steps to better protect themselves. According to a recent survey, one in 10 people have been victims of phone theft in the U.S.1 and more than 50% of those surveyed admitted to not having a passcode set on their phones2. According to a recent mobile threat report, as bad actors look for new ways to exploit mobile users, 2014 was the year of malware sophistication – numerous new threats, strategies for stealing money from mobile users and stolen information distribution methods surfaced in just the past year 3.
January 28 is Data Privacy Day – a good day to remind you of some of the ways we protect privacy and to share some simple steps you should also take to protect yours. We think educating our customers is an important part the process. At Sprint, privacy isn’t just a buzz word. In addition to our commitment to offering our customers the best value in wireless and the best customer experience, protecting privacy is a priority for us. We are vigilant about keeping information safe. We employ a variety of security and privacy physical, electronic and process safeguards for our systems and our employees, which we maintain and monitor. In addition to privacy protection, customer choice and control is at the heart of the Sprint customer experience. Our customers have choices about how and if we use their personal information, as well as how we contact them for marketing purposes. We will not sell customer personal information (such as name and contact information) to anyone for any purpose without customer consent. Learn more about your choices on our website here, where we fully disclose our privacy policy in plain language.
We want to remind you there are some simple and important steps you can take to protect your own mobile privacy. Here is a checklist:
- Lock it: Use a PIN or passcode for your device and change it regularly
- Practice safe surfing: Don’t click on unfamiliar links while browsing on mobile.
- Set it: Check the settings on your device often and make sure you are only sharing the information you want to share
- Have a Plan B: Download a reputable security app – such as Lookout for yourAndroid or iOS device to help keep it safe, to find a lost device, or lock and wipe your data clean if your phone can’t be recovered or to back up your contacts so those important people can always be found.
- Recycle your old device but before recycling, follow the manufacturer’s instructions for wiping your device clean of all data.
- Protect your family – We offer a variety of tools on our privacy and securityproduct web page
For more information about how we protect your privacy and our policies, visit sprint.com/privacy. we want to hear from you. If you have questions or feedback about our privacy policy, email us anytime at officeofprivacy@sprint.com. To learn more about Data Privacy Day, visit www.staysafeonline.org
* 1 Lookout Mobile Security, Jan. 2013
* 2: Lookout Mobile Security, Jan. 2013
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