Electronics Losing Your Smartphone and What Happens To It

**Rain Man** · 03-09-2012, 11:25 AM

Interesting article, I thought. I need to figure out how to activate the password on my phone.

http://digitallife.today.msnbc.msn.c...-says-about-us

EXCLUSIVE: The 'lost' cell phone project, and the dark things it says about us

By Bob Sullivan

What would you do if you found a smartphone on the subway or at a coffee shop? If you're like most Americans, you'd rummage through the phone looking for photos, emails and even private banking information. And the chances are only 50-50 that you would try to return the phone.

Computer security firm Symantec Corp. recently conducted an elaborate, first-of-its-kind study on lost smartphones and shared the results exclusively with TODAY and msnbc.com. The company set a trap for human nature, then sat back and watched. The results were not pretty.

Symantec researchers intentionally lost 50 smartphones in cities around the U.S. and in Canada. They were left on newspaper boxes, park benches, elevators and other places that passers-by would quickly spot them. But these weren't just any phones -- they were loaded with tracking and logging software so Symantec employees could physically track them and keep track of everything the finders did with the gadgets.

To spice up the test, the phones had an obvious file named "contacts," making it easy for any finder to connect with the phone's rightful owner. But the phones also offered tempting files, with names like "banking information," and "HR files."

Some 43 percent of finders clicked on an app labeled "online banking." And 53 percent clicked on a filed named "HR salaries." A file named "saved passwords" was opened by 57 percent of finders. Social networking tools and personal e-mail were checked by 60 percent. And a folder labeled "private photos" tempted 72 percent.

Collectively, 89 percent of finders clicked on something they probably shouldn't have.

Meanwhile, only 50 percent of finders offered to return the gadgets, even though the owner’s name was listed clearly within the contacts file.

"I wasn't surprised, but I wish I had been,” Kevin Haley, director at Symantec’s security response team, said of the unscientific test. “At the end of the day people’s curiosity is so strong, if you present them with the opportunity, they will do it. You would have hoped most people would have made every effort to return the phone."

It's important to note that most, if not all, of the finders weren’t criminals and did not wake up the day they found the lost phones with the intention of rummaging through someone else's personal information. But the temptation created by finding such a device was apparently too much for most of them -- even for some Good Samaritans who tried to return the phone. The story of one lost phone illustrates this point.

On Feb. 2 at 3:05 p.m., Symantec “lost” a phone in a bathroom at Santa Monica Pier in California. A finder tried to access the phone's contacts application 18 minutes later. Moments later, the finder accessed files labeled “passwords,” “cloud-based docs” and “social networking.”

GPS data indicates the finder moved the phone into a nearby restaurant, then into a mall, and an hour later, to a dog park. At around 5 p.m., the finder opened the Contacts application three times, even there were only two entries listed in it – and one, clearly including an e-mail address and phone number for the owner.

Then the finder continued rummaging around the device, started the File Manager application, and explored files on the gadget's SD card.

The phone then made its way through downtown Los Angeles, eventually settling in East L.A., where the finder opened the passwords file three times. Then, online banking, social networking, contacts, private pix, remote admin and other files were opened in rapid succession. Soon after, the device was plugged into a computer for recharging, and then finally reset to original factory settings, wiping all the logging software off the gadget.

But a guilty conscience eventually won out with this finder. On Wednesday, Feb. 8, nearly a week after the gadget was lost, the finder wrote an e-mail to the supposed owner. It read:

"Hi. I found your phone at the Santa Monica Pier last Thursday (Feb. 2). I used it for like a week but now I feel bad and want to return it. I'm really sorry. :/ What do you want me to do to return it to you?"

Some might consider the 50 percent return rate a victory for humanity, but that wasn't really the point of Symantec's project. The firm wanted to see if -- even among what seem to be honest people -- the urge to peek into someone's personal data was just too strong to resist. It was.

"The most stunning thing to me were the people that attempted to open bank account information - four out of 10 finders. That's, a lot," Haley said.
Another tale of a phone lost near Rockefeller Center in New York City at 4 p.m. on Feb. 2 illustrates this point well.

The finder moved the phone some six blocks north, then repeatedly opened and closed the contacts application, again containing only two entries. One can imagine the finder struggling with his or her conscience like the “Lord of the Rings” character, Gollum, deciding what to do. Between 4:30 and 6:30 p.m., the finder opened most of the other applications, and took many more glimpses into the “contacts” file. At 10:30, activity on the phone stopped.

Suddenly, at 4:03 a.m., the phone was used again by its finder -- this time to peek a view of the “HR salaries” file.

"It's like they woke up out of a deep sleep and said, 'Hey there's salary information on that phone. Let me see if I can access it,'” said Haley.

At 6:30 a.m., the finder opened the calendar, private pix, social networking, online banking, HR salaries, remote admin, corporate e-mail and passwords. For the rest of the day, there was near continuous rummaging through the phone, including the eventual launch of File Manager to see the entire phone's contents.

"It's relentless. He can't get into online banking so he goes back to the file that has passwords in it, checks the passwords again and tries again,” Haley said. “He tries to log in remotely to the computer, can't get on so he goes to password to get the password and tries again."

By nightfall, activity on the phone stopped, and it remained relative dormant until it was moved to New York City's Chinatown area at 5:35 a.m. Feb. 9 -- one week after it was lost -- and wiped clean, probably for sale on the black market.

Scott Wright, president of Security Perspectives Inc, helped design the research for Symantec. One statistically insignificant finding he called attention to: the return rate in Ottawa was 70 percent, highest in the study.

The lowest return rate – 30 percent – was in New York City.

“Curiosity is a very powerful thing, especially on a mobile,” he said. “The most surprising thing is how obsessed people became with finding personal information off the phones, with accessing e-mail, accessing social network, private pictures. … People didn't give up. They just kept trying again and again over the course of a week to get access to this data and that really surprised me.”

The lesson here is obvious: studies show that half to three-fourths of smartphone users don’t password-protect their phones. That’s an invitation to disaster. While most corporations force users to password-protect their phone, many personal users think entering a password is a hassle that interrupts their texting habits.

One lost phone would quickly change that perspective.

After the steady drumbeat of identity theft and lost privacy stories, why would consumers still choose to put their smartphones at risk?

“People haven't thought it through,” Haley said. “Maybe before they had a smartphone, losing an old cell phone was devastating but there wasn't much information on it. Maybe it’s like the frog in a pot of cold water that’s eventually boiled – it wasn’t that bad losing their old phone, so people haven't thought through how much information is now on their smart phones and what could happen if they lost it. We hope this research shows what could happen and sticks out in people's minds.”

Even if you are glass-half-full person, and think a lost phone would find its way back to you, if you don’t use a password you’re still putting your data at great risk.

“The moral of the story is that people may offer to give you your device back, but you shouldn't assume they haven't accessed any of their personal or corporate information on the device,” Wright said.

Of course, PIN-protecting your phone may prevent a Good Samaritan finder using “contacts” to find you. So Haley recommends placing contact information on the outside of the phone, perhaps on the case.

Also, consider technology that allows you to wipe the smartphone’s memory clean in case it’s lost. There are also services like Apple’s MobileMe, which let you locate the phone through a Web page; several commercial services offer similar products.

If you find a phone, the best thing to do is quickly turn it in to the nearest authority – a police officer or the lost & found at the mall, for example. If you really want to gain good gadget karma, and you can determine the service provider, walk it into a nearby Verizon, T-Mobile, Sprint or AT&T store and turn it in there. It’s easy for stores to look up the phone’s serial number and get contact information for the rightful owner.

You might look up the owner on the gadget and send him or her an email. But be realistic about your own human nature. If you don’t think you could resist taking a peek at personal information on the phone, you are probably best handing it off to someone else instead.

jiveturkey · 03-09-2012, 11:41 AM

I don't really keep much on my phone. If I change my password in Google I'd be protected.

They might mess up my high scores in Doodle Jump though.

Micjones · 03-09-2012, 11:45 AM

Someone stole my phone about 8 weeks ago.
I was sick for a whole week.

I had EVERYTHING in that phone.

A cellphone is about the dumbest thing a person can steal.
It's only good to you for an hour or two.
And that's only if it doesn't have an automatic lock on it.

**1ChiefsDan** · 03-09-2012, 11:47 AM

Mine is set to sleep after 2 minutes of inactivity and needs a password to re-open. I also have the ability to wipe the phone from any computer if I do lose it.

ReynardMuldrake · 03-09-2012, 11:49 AM

http://preyproject.com/

R8RFAN · 03-09-2012, 11:49 AM

https://www.mylookout.com/

**alnorth** · 03-09-2012, 11:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rain Man

A file named "saved passwords" was opened by 57 percent of finders.

Do people really do that? Why the hell would anyone type all their passwords into a file on their computer or phone? I understand that strong passwords can be hard to remember, but at least use a reputable password manager.

DJ's left nut · 03-09-2012, 11:53 AM

I am nosey as a mother!@#$er.

I try not to be, but I am. I'd have rooted all throughout that thing. I wouldn't have done anything with it, but it wouldn't have stopped me from falling into the asshole group on the study.

I'd have given it back (afterall, I already have one and hate selling things on Ebay), but if I had a spare 15 minutes or so until they showed up to grab it, I'd most assuredly have given that private pics folder a click or two...

Sorry.

**alnorth** · 03-09-2012, 11:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

I am nosey as a mother!@#$er.

I try not to be, but I am. I'd have rooted all throughout that thing. I wouldn't have done anything with it, but it wouldn't have stopped me from falling into the asshole group on the study.

I'd have given it back (afterall, I already have one and hate selling things on Ebay), but if I had a spare 15 minutes or so until they showed up to grab it, I'd most assuredly have given that private pics folder a click or two...

Sorry.

hey, maybe it'll have a pic of the owner. If you are giving the phone back, you need to know what he or she looks like.

patteeu · 03-09-2012, 12:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

I am nosey as a mother!@#$er.

I try not to be, but I am. I'd have rooted all throughout that thing. I wouldn't have done anything with it, but it wouldn't have stopped me from falling into the asshole group on the study.

I'd have given it back (afterall, I already have one and hate selling things on Ebay), but if I had a spare 15 minutes or so until they showed up to grab it, I'd most assuredly have given that private pics folder a click or two...

Sorry.

I'd probably do something similar to this. I'd definitely try to return the phone to it's rightful owner and I wouldn't steal anything, but I'd probably check out their pictures or look through their apps to see if anything looked interesting. I don't think I'd open their bank account or anything like that though because I'd be paranoid about getting in trouble.

patteeu · 03-09-2012, 12:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alnorth

hey, maybe it'll have a pic of the owner. If you are giving the phone back, you need to know what he or she looks like.

Not to mention the fact that you might nab a child molester or a criminal who can't resist taking pictures of his own crimes. It's a public service!

**alnorth** · 03-09-2012, 12:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by patteeu

Not to mention the fact that you might nab a child molester or a criminal who can't resist taking pictures of his own crimes. It's a public service!

Or if the owner is female, you may need more than a face to verify the rightful owner's chest size.

KChiefer · 03-09-2012, 12:33 PM

About a year ago I was at the bar with a friend who brought a guy I'd never met. We were smoking cigs when a couple comes up and said they found an iphone but needed to leave. They give the phone to the guy I was with as he said he'd find the owner.

When they leave he says, "Looks like I just got a new phone!"
I said, "Dude, you don't steal peoples phones. Turn it into the bar."
Even our mutual friend sided with him saying was ok for him to take it.

He refused to return it even when I said I'd physically take it from him. He said he'd break it before I got it. My first move was to swipe for the phone though he pulled it away. I then smashed a pint glass over his head. He dropped the phone.

The guy who's phone it was literally across the street and walked up right after all this.

So yeah, don't steal people's phones.

**Iowanian** · 03-09-2012, 12:50 PM

Stealing someone's phone is a dick move.

Of course you're going to try to dig around, at least enough to find a number to call to figure out who owns it. I'm not going to lie though, I might gander through the photos.

A coworker bought a NEW phone a while back, and something must have happened with the memory card, so the local store stuck a new one in it. It turns out, that card wasn't new and had some photos of a local lady we all know.....and it turns out is a naughty, naughty girl.

vailpass · 03-09-2012, 12:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Iowanian

Stealing someone's phone is a dick move.

Of course you're going to try to dig around, at least enough to find a number to call to figure out who owns it. I'm not going to lie though, I might gander through the photos.

A coworker bought a NEW phone a while back, and something must have happened with the memory card, so the local store stuck a new one in it. It turns out, that card wasn't new and had some photos of a local lady we all know.....and it turns out is a naughty, naughty girl.

03-09-2012, 11:25 AM
Rain Man Seize life. Be an ermine. Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: My house Casino cash: $-682449 VARSITY	Losing Your Smartphone and What Happens To It Interesting article, I thought. I need to figure out how to activate the password on my phone. http://digitallife.today.msnbc.msn.c...-says-about-us EXCLUSIVE: The 'lost' cell phone project, and the dark things it says about us By Bob Sullivan What would you do if you found a smartphone on the subway or at a coffee shop? If you're like most Americans, you'd rummage through the phone looking for photos, emails and even private banking information. And the chances are only 50-50 that you would try to return the phone. Computer security firm Symantec Corp. recently conducted an elaborate, first-of-its-kind study on lost smartphones and shared the results exclusively with TODAY and msnbc.com. The company set a trap for human nature, then sat back and watched. The results were not pretty. Symantec researchers intentionally lost 50 smartphones in cities around the U.S. and in Canada. They were left on newspaper boxes, park benches, elevators and other places that passers-by would quickly spot them. But these weren't just any phones -- they were loaded with tracking and logging software so Symantec employees could physically track them and keep track of everything the finders did with the gadgets. To spice up the test, the phones had an obvious file named "contacts," making it easy for any finder to connect with the phone's rightful owner. But the phones also offered tempting files, with names like "banking information," and "HR files." Some 43 percent of finders clicked on an app labeled "online banking." And 53 percent clicked on a filed named "HR salaries." A file named "saved passwords" was opened by 57 percent of finders. Social networking tools and personal e-mail were checked by 60 percent. And a folder labeled "private photos" tempted 72 percent. Collectively, 89 percent of finders clicked on something they probably shouldn't have. Meanwhile, only 50 percent of finders offered to return the gadgets, even though the owner’s name was listed clearly within the contacts file. "I wasn't surprised, but I wish I had been,” Kevin Haley, director at Symantec’s security response team, said of the unscientific test. “At the end of the day people’s curiosity is so strong, if you present them with the opportunity, they will do it. You would have hoped most people would have made every effort to return the phone." It's important to note that most, if not all, of the finders weren’t criminals and did not wake up the day they found the lost phones with the intention of rummaging through someone else's personal information. But the temptation created by finding such a device was apparently too much for most of them -- even for some Good Samaritans who tried to return the phone. The story of one lost phone illustrates this point. On Feb. 2 at 3:05 p.m., Symantec “lost” a phone in a bathroom at Santa Monica Pier in California. A finder tried to access the phone's contacts application 18 minutes later. Moments later, the finder accessed files labeled “passwords,” “cloud-based docs” and “social networking.” GPS data indicates the finder moved the phone into a nearby restaurant, then into a mall, and an hour later, to a dog park. At around 5 p.m., the finder opened the Contacts application three times, even there were only two entries listed in it – and one, clearly including an e-mail address and phone number for the owner. Then the finder continued rummaging around the device, started the File Manager application, and explored files on the gadget's SD card. The phone then made its way through downtown Los Angeles, eventually settling in East L.A., where the finder opened the passwords file three times. Then, online banking, social networking, contacts, private pix, remote admin and other files were opened in rapid succession. Soon after, the device was plugged into a computer for recharging, and then finally reset to original factory settings, wiping all the logging software off the gadget. But a guilty conscience eventually won out with this finder. On Wednesday, Feb. 8, nearly a week after the gadget was lost, the finder wrote an e-mail to the supposed owner. It read: "Hi. I found your phone at the Santa Monica Pier last Thursday (Feb. 2). I used it for like a week but now I feel bad and want to return it. I'm really sorry. :/ What do you want me to do to return it to you?" Some might consider the 50 percent return rate a victory for humanity, but that wasn't really the point of Symantec's project. The firm wanted to see if -- even among what seem to be honest people -- the urge to peek into someone's personal data was just too strong to resist. It was. "The most stunning thing to me were the people that attempted to open bank account information - four out of 10 finders. That's, a lot," Haley said. Another tale of a phone lost near Rockefeller Center in New York City at 4 p.m. on Feb. 2 illustrates this point well. The finder moved the phone some six blocks north, then repeatedly opened and closed the contacts application, again containing only two entries. One can imagine the finder struggling with his or her conscience like the “Lord of the Rings” character, Gollum, deciding what to do. Between 4:30 and 6:30 p.m., the finder opened most of the other applications, and took many more glimpses into the “contacts” file. At 10:30, activity on the phone stopped. Suddenly, at 4:03 a.m., the phone was used again by its finder -- this time to peek a view of the “HR salaries” file. "It's like they woke up out of a deep sleep and said, 'Hey there's salary information on that phone. Let me see if I can access it,'” said Haley. At 6:30 a.m., the finder opened the calendar, private pix, social networking, online banking, HR salaries, remote admin, corporate e-mail and passwords. For the rest of the day, there was near continuous rummaging through the phone, including the eventual launch of File Manager to see the entire phone's contents. "It's relentless. He can't get into online banking so he goes back to the file that has passwords in it, checks the passwords again and tries again,” Haley said. “He tries to log in remotely to the computer, can't get on so he goes to password to get the password and tries again." By nightfall, activity on the phone stopped, and it remained relative dormant until it was moved to New York City's Chinatown area at 5:35 a.m. Feb. 9 -- one week after it was lost -- and wiped clean, probably for sale on the black market. Scott Wright, president of Security Perspectives Inc, helped design the research for Symantec. One statistically insignificant finding he called attention to: the return rate in Ottawa was 70 percent, highest in the study. The lowest return rate – 30 percent – was in New York City. “Curiosity is a very powerful thing, especially on a mobile,” he said. “The most surprising thing is how obsessed people became with finding personal information off the phones, with accessing e-mail, accessing social network, private pictures. … People didn't give up. They just kept trying again and again over the course of a week to get access to this data and that really surprised me.” The lesson here is obvious: studies show that half to three-fourths of smartphone users don’t password-protect their phones. That’s an invitation to disaster. While most corporations force users to password-protect their phone, many personal users think entering a password is a hassle that interrupts their texting habits. One lost phone would quickly change that perspective. After the steady drumbeat of identity theft and lost privacy stories, why would consumers still choose to put their smartphones at risk? “People haven't thought it through,” Haley said. “Maybe before they had a smartphone, losing an old cell phone was devastating but there wasn't much information on it. Maybe it’s like the frog in a pot of cold water that’s eventually boiled – it wasn’t that bad losing their old phone, so people haven't thought through how much information is now on their smart phones and what could happen if they lost it. We hope this research shows what could happen and sticks out in people's minds.” Even if you are glass-half-full person, and think a lost phone would find its way back to you, if you don’t use a password you’re still putting your data at great risk. “The moral of the story is that people may offer to give you your device back, but you shouldn't assume they haven't accessed any of their personal or corporate information on the device,” Wright said. Of course, PIN-protecting your phone may prevent a Good Samaritan finder using “contacts” to find you. So Haley recommends placing contact information on the outside of the phone, perhaps on the case. Also, consider technology that allows you to wipe the smartphone’s memory clean in case it’s lost. There are also services like Apple’s MobileMe, which let you locate the phone through a Web page; several commercial services offer similar products. If you find a phone, the best thing to do is quickly turn it in to the nearest authority – a police officer or the lost & found at the mall, for example. If you really want to gain good gadget karma, and you can determine the service provider, walk it into a nearby Verizon, T-Mobile, Sprint or AT&T store and turn it in there. It’s easy for stores to look up the phone’s serial number and get contact information for the rightful owner. You might look up the owner on the gadget and send him or her an email. But be realistic about your own human nature. If you don’t think you could resist taking a peek at personal information on the phone, you are probably best handing it off to someone else instead.
Posts: 145,512

03-09-2012, 11:41 AM	#2
jiveturkey Captain Kick Ass Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Kansas Casino cash: $9305197	I don't really keep much on my phone. If I change my password in Google I'd be protected. They might mess up my high scores in Doodle Jump though.
Posts: 5,781

03-09-2012, 11:45 AM	#3
Micjones Whose house? Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: KCMO Casino cash: $10005180	Someone stole my phone about 8 weeks ago. I was sick for a whole week. I had EVERYTHING in that phone. A cellphone is about the dumbest thing a person can steal. It's only good to you for an hour or two. And that's only if it doesn't have an automatic lock on it. __________________ It's like when I'm right I'm right, when I'm wrong I could been right, so I'm still right cause I coulda been wrong.
Posts: 15,344

03-09-2012, 11:47 AM	#4
1ChiefsDan Supporter Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Beaverton, OR Casino cash: $10006847	Mine is set to sleep after 2 minutes of inactivity and needs a password to re-open. I also have the ability to wipe the phone from any computer if I do lose it.
Posts: 2,486

03-09-2012, 11:49 AM	#5
ReynardMuldrake 2 Legit 2 Colquitt Join Date: Sep 2010 Casino cash: $2175754	http://preyproject.com/
Posts: 4,898

03-09-2012, 11:49 AM	#6
R8RFAN Molôn Labé Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: North Carolina Casino cash: $8466872	https://www.mylookout.com/
Posts: 23,182

03-09-2012, 11:53 AM	#8
DJ's left nut Sauntering Vaguely Downwards Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Columbia, Mo Casino cash: $-850901	I am nosey as a mother!@#$er. I try not to be, but I am. I'd have rooted all throughout that thing. I wouldn't have done anything with it, but it wouldn't have stopped me from falling into the asshole group on the study. I'd have given it back (afterall, I already have one and hate selling things on Ebay), but if I had a spare 15 minutes or so until they showed up to grab it, I'd most assuredly have given that private pics folder a click or two... Sorry. __________________ "If there's a god, he's laughing at us.....and our football team..." "When you look at something through rose colored glasses, all the red flags just look like flags."
Posts: 66,857

03-09-2012, 12:33 PM	#13
KChiefer Fantastic Planeteer Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Champaign, IL Casino cash: $10006721	About a year ago I was at the bar with a friend who brought a guy I'd never met. We were smoking cigs when a couple comes up and said they found an iphone but needed to leave. They give the phone to the guy I was with as he said he'd find the owner. When they leave he says, "Looks like I just got a new phone!" I said, "Dude, you don't steal peoples phones. Turn it into the bar." Even our mutual friend sided with him saying was ok for him to take it. He refused to return it even when I said I'd physically take it from him. He said he'd break it before I got it. My first move was to swipe for the phone though he pulled it away. I then smashed a pint glass over his head. He dropped the phone. The guy who's phone it was literally across the street and walked up right after all this. So yeah, don't steal people's phones.
Posts: 4,943

03-09-2012, 12:50 PM	#14
Iowanian Supporter Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Utopia Casino cash: $1668454	Stealing someone's phone is a dick move. Of course you're going to try to dig around, at least enough to find a number to call to figure out who owns it. I'm not going to lie though, I might gander through the photos. A coworker bought a NEW phone a while back, and something must have happened with the memory card, so the local store stuck a new one in it. It turns out, that card wasn't new and had some photos of a local lady we all know.....and it turns out is a naughty, naughty girl.
Posts: 62,945