On Thursday, Lookout – the mobile security experts – confirmed a new partnership with the FCC to unveil the Smartphone Security Checker, which is being promoted as “a checklist to help people keep their mobile devices safe.”
The timing of this effort, say the mobile partners in crime, couldn’t be more opportune. The case is being made that because half of all Americans now own smartphones, the FCC and Lookout have much awareness to raise with regard to protecting sensitive information.
Devised in partnership with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, The Federal Trade Commission, The National Cyber Security Alliance, CTIA-The Wireless Association and Lookout, the online tool covers how to safeguard lost and stolen phones, block digital threats like malware and spyware and prevent financial fraud.
“With less than half of smartphone owners using passwords to protect their devices,” says FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski, “this new tool will be of particular value to millions of Americans. The holiday gift-giving season is a perfect time to remind consumers to take simple steps, like setting a password, to protect themselves from mobile security threats.”