Most smartphone users don't rely on security solutions

British mobile users are putting their personal details at risk by keeping large amounts of information on unsecured mobile devices, new research has warned.

Security firm Bitdefender has revealed a report showing that almost half of users in the UK store their sensitive personal and private information on smartphones that are often neither updated or protected.

Interviewing over 500 UK users, Bitdefender found 61 percent said they kept private files and documents on their personal computers or laptops. More surprisingly, 45 percent admitted to keeping the similar sensitive information on their mobile phones.

Bitdefender also found that four out of ten UK smartphone users have no security solution installed on their devices, nor do they update their firmware regularly, which could leave them open to exploits and malware that could expose their personal information and data.

Despite not securing their smartphones properly, 49 percent of users were afraid that their mobile devices could be used to steal their identities.

The study also found that seven out of ten UK smartphone or tablet users claimed to have changed their passwords on their devices once over the past three months. Bitdefender also found that on average there are nine smart devices or accessories in a UK user's home though only six out of ten users have different passwords for each device or accessory.

Securing your mobile phone against cyber attacks and malware in this day and age is essential as cyber threats and the tactics used by hackers have grown much more sophisticated in nature. Also, as these devices are on our person at all times, it is of the utmost importance that we protect them with a unique pin or some form of biometric security.

Published under license from ITProPortal.com, a Future plc Publication. All rights reserved.

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