BlackBerry Protect: Keeping Your Data Safe
Losing a phone can be quite the problem. There are two major loses that are attributed to such a personal device: the financial cost of such an impressive piece of hardware, and of course, the digital content that is stored on the phone. Data containing information on friends, relative, addresses, itineraries, personal notes, shopping lists to business oriented content such as database access applications, private supplier and client data are often stored in BlackBerry handsets.
This is why it is not surprising that RIM has started a new program that would help out BB users who have either misplaced their handsets or have fallen victim to mobile phone theft.
The new BlackBerry Protect system is an online service that gives BlackBerry users a chance to access their mobile phones from a computer. For those who feel that they might have simply misplaced the device. The service allows for users to activate the GPS on the phone and have it ring or alarm loudly in order to be found. This is particularly helpful when you cannot tell whether the device was left at the office or at the house of a friend (at least it saves you a long trip).
In cases where theft is a possibility, more extreme actions could be taken. One of the most impressive things that can be done is to lock out the handset. The device will not be easily accessed by whoever has taken possession of it, and if needed, owners are also able to wipe out the data of the handset completely.
Naturally, such a system would also be dangerous for owners should other people be able to obtain their login information to the BlackBerry Protect service and as such, RIM is taking important steps to ensure that the system has enough fail safes. Currently, BB Protect is running in a closed beta test, and we can expect to hear more about this new service soon.
Facebook Lets You Take Control of Logins
Facebook is facing a lot of issues and concerns regarding privacy. While they can do little to help solve issues wherein they are considered to be the culprits (data mining and all), they have all the power to provide new features and functions that would help users ensure the security of an account.
The social networking site has recently introduced a new login tracking system which will allow users to indicate and specify which devices can be used to access their account. Facebook software engineer Lev Popov talks about the new feature in his Facebook Blog Post:
“At Facebook, we're constantly working on new ways to protect you from scams and help you keep your account and information secure. Today, we're announcing some new tools and systems designed to keep the bad guys out and keep you abreast of suspicious activity so you can quickly take action to correct it.”
“We've always devoted significant time and effort to security. We've built technical systems that operate behind the scenes to quickly detect and block suspicious behavior, delete phony posts and messages, and return compromised accounts to their rightful owners. Most of these systems are invisible to the average person who uses Facebook. Very few people will ever experience a security issue on Facebook, which means that most of you have probably never noticed these systems at work. Rest assured that these systems are there, though, protecting you and your friends.”
“Over the last few weeks, we've been testing a new feature that allows you to approve the devices you commonly use to log in and then to be notified whenever your account is accessed from a device you haven't approved. This feature is now available to everyone.”
For users who only access Facebook from their smart phones and on specific computers, this is great way to monitor your account and ensure that other people do not try to access it without your knowledge.