Security Tips for the Smartphone and Facebook Age

In May, Americans spent 53.5 billion minutes on Facebook (Nielsen, 3Q 2011 Social Media Report). That boils down to about 12 minutes every day for each of the more than 140 million Americans on Facebook.

With numbers like that, it's no surprise that companies in the financial industry and others are using social networks to market their products and services. And deliver them via smartphones, which are really computers disguised as phones. What this means is identity thieves can’t be far behind.

If you are networking in "social" groups, you may be inclined to trust that your information is safe since it's among "friends." The truth is, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and the like were designed with minimal privacy and security controls, making it easy for identity thieves to obtain personal information they can use to their advantage.

Take Action Tips for Today

Do what you can to prevent thieves from stealing your identity.

• Implement privacy controls – Though it seems counter to the "networking" aspect of these sites, you can limit access to your information. But you have to make the effort.
• Stop revealing your whereabouts – Simply wait until you get home to post about your trip or be vague about travel dates. Resist the urge to "check in" at the airport, for example. It's like posting a 'no one's home" sign on your door.
• Use strong passwords – And change them regularly. Use a combination of lowercase and capital letters, numbers and symbols. To remember multiple passwords, try a prefix such as gmThr!v3nt for g-mail.
• Secure your phone – Not surprisingly, one in three of us has lost our smartphone or had it stolen. But fewer than half of us bother to set up a password (Star Tribune, 7/15/11). What information could thieves gather by thumbing through your phone, especially if you use it for financial transactions? Set a password today and upload security software.
• Do you bank by phone? – It's convenient to monitor your balance while standing in the checkout line. Handier still are text alerts should your balance run low. Just be cautious. Your mobile phone is really a computer in your hands, so treat it as such. Avoid unknown web sites. And don't follow links in emails that claim to be from your bank; go directly to their site.
• Beware dumpster divers – All this talk about online security may lull you to sleep where your paper trail is concerned. Do you shred old bills, credit card applications and other documents before trashing them? More than one in three victims of identity theft had their wallet or other papers stolen while just one in ten report online theft (Javelin Identity Fraud Report).
• Rest your thumbs – It's easy to be so pre-occupied with the angry birds on your handheld device that you don't notice the feathered friends in your own backyard. We dare you to try this for a day: dumb down your smartphone and power down your laptop. Stay offline and use the time to sit still, ponder anew, take a walk, read an actual book (not the electronic kind). One day offline won’t prevent identity theft, but peace of mind is priceless.

More Resources

• Thrivent Financial's new membership benefit, Identity Theft Protection, provided by Experian's® ProtectMyID™, offers access to credit monitoring, fraud resolution agents, and much more. Choose from two plans: yours free or at member-discounted rates.
• Attend a free, educational Identity Theft workshop in your community. Find a workshop in your area.
• Use this Fraud and Identity Theft Resolution Checklist (PDF, 121K) to organize the aftermath and inconvenience should your identity be stolen.
• If you're looking for ways to save money here or be smarter there, read our free daily tips. There's a new tip every day of the month that applies to your age bracket.

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