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The University of ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV

Protecting Personal Information on Mobile Devices

Some of the most common privacy breaches experienced by organizations of all sizes occur when personal information is lost or stolen. Mobile devices – such as laptops, smartphones and tablets – are of special concern, as they can be easily lost and are attractive to thieves. Flash drives and external hard drives are also affected when connected to a device or stored in a laptop bag or backpack. Even desktop computers can be targeted for theft. 

Mobile devices often store files containing the personal information of others. Whether relating to a student, fellow employee or research participant, personal information must be protected from unauthorized access. Not only is this important to comply with applicable legislation, ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV policy and research agreements, privacy breaches can also have serious monetary and reputational consequences. 

To help lessen the risk of privacy breaches involving mobile devices and drives, follow these guidelines: 

  • Never leave your device unattended and lock office doors, desks and cabinets
  • Protect your device with a strong, unique password
  • Avoid storing personal information in the first place by using network drives instead – even with desktop computers
  • Encryption of files and devices is the best way to lessen the impact caused by device loss or theft and should be used whenever possible
  • Delete files containing personal information when no longer needed
  • Anti-theft apps such as Find My Device (Android) and Find My iPhone (iOS) can wipe smartphones remotely
  • (including freeware) exists to securely erase laptops
  • Set automatic screen locks to avoid unauthorized viewing of personal information