Lost your Smartphone or your computer?

The popularity, affordability and usefulness of electronic devices in the hands of a large population implies that either due to oversight, distraction or any other human weakness, devices get lost, misplaced or forgotten. Many of these devices, particularly the very recent and/or fashionable become objects of desire and therefore, get stolen. They also get left behind in airport security checkpoints, restaurant tables and almost any other place. You may be lucky. More often than not, this is not the case.

 

Why is this an issue?

If the device cannot be recovered, obviously there is the cost of replacing the device. However, and more importantly, the device may contain personal and/or corporate information, including stored passwords to network connections, electronic mail, bank accounts, etc. that could be abused or misused by a third party.

 

What you should do about it

There is no shortage of options for each type of device (i.e. computer, tablet, Smartphone). If the lost device has been provided by the business in which you work, they should be the irst to be informed.

 

If you have lost a computer or tablet, the second step below may help you. If it doesn’t, don’t hope for much. If the device is your telephone or smartphone you should try the following steps first:

 

• Call your phone and listen for it to ring or vibrat If someone else has it, they may answer it
• Do a thorough visual search (if you did not hear it maybe because the battery is lat) and retrace your steps
• Send a test message offering a reward for its return
• Contact your service provider and report the loss
• Report it to your insurance company (if you have such insurance)

 

You can help yourself by installing software that helps you trace the location of your lost device and, just as importantly, protect the data in your device. Other sections in this tutorial give some more details.