HOW TO PROTECT YOUR PHONE AGAINST THEFT

Keep this in a safe place

This emergency kit guides you through the essential steps.

There is no need to panic if your phone is stolen! This emergency kit provides you with a step-by-step guide and will help you secure your accounts and personal information.

Please print a copy of this kit, fill in the missing details, and keep it in a safe place.

Use a secure PIN/Passcode

It should resist at least 10 guesses!

The PIN or passcode for your phone is usually set when you configure your phone, but you can always change it (/). Your PIN/passcode should be memorable and convenient to enter, but it should also withstand at least 10 guessing attempts, as there is a strict rate limit in place, preventing strangers from indefinitely trying guesses.

Recommendations

• Avoid using common PINs like 1234(56)/0000(00), as attackers will try these first!
• Avoid using PINs that follow a pattern that is easily observable from afar or while looking over your shoulder.
• Avoid using known dates, such as birthdays or anniversaries, if you want to shield your phone from family members.
• Please do not reuse your PIN/passcode to log into an app on your phone!

Good to know

• Unlock patterns (only available on Android) are often less secure than PINs.
• Alphanumeric passwords offer the best protection for your phone but are also cumbersome and prone to time-consuming typos.

Stop shoulder-surfing attacks

Unlock your phone with your fingerprint or face.

You can enroll your fingerprint or face to unlock your phone with the help of Fingerprint Unlock/Touch ID (/) or Face Unlock/Face ID (/).

Unlocking your phone using biometrics, is fast and more convenient than entering a PIN/passcode. It is a great option to safely unlock your phone in busy spaces, like the subway, or other shoulder-surfing situations.

Good to know

You do not need to worry about your privacy. Your biometrics never leave your device; they are stored securely on an extra security chip on your phone.

Know how to track your phone

Have your Apple ID/Google account password ready!

To help regain your phone in case of device loss or theft, you should activate Find My on iPhone or Find My Device on Android. These features will help you locate your phone.

Make sure these features are enabled, and you know how to access them from another device, like your computer or a friends' phone.

Why?

With these features, you can ...

• Lock your phone remotely (/).
• Mark your phone as lost (/).
• Display a message on your screen (/).
• Erase all data on your phone (/).

How?

Good to know

When you mark your device as lost, it will sign your phone out of your Apple ID/Google account and disable payments with the credit cards stored in your digital wallet.

Lock Your SIM Card and Get Your IMEI

Write down these important numbers and passwords!

If your phone gets stolen, you should call your provider to lock your SIM card and suspend your wireless services. For insurance reasons, it is also a good idea to report the theft to the local police station.

For this, you will need to know the following information:

• your phone number or mobile operator online credentials
• your IMEI number or device serial number

Suspend your wireless services

Suspending your wireless services and locking your SIM card is a good idea to fight the unpleasant after-effects like identity theft and impersonation or social-engineering attacks. For example, by locking your SIM card, attackers cannot receive your two-factor SMS codes, cause fraudulent transactions, or impersonate you in your favorite instant messenger like WhatsApp.

To suspend your wireless services, you should contact your mobile network operator. This can be done either online using your mobile operator's username and password or by calling their hotline and answering some questions about yourself and your contract (go get a copy of your last invoice).

Report the theft to the police

Reporting the theft to the police is a good idea and often important for insurance reasons. The police will usually ask for your phone's IMEI number. This number is unique to your phone's modem and helps the police to identify it. Legitimate phone shops will always check the IMEI of a device before buying/selling it.

You can find an explanation on how to look up your IMEI number (/) online, but it is also often printed on your device's invoice (in case you still have it). Note, modern smartphones might have more than just one IMEI number.

Change Important Passwords

... and monitor your accounts for suspicious activity!

If your phone is gone, it is recommended to log in to all your important accounts (email, banking, shopping, etc.) and change your passwords.

If your phone is configured to receive your emails, you should start with changing the password for your email account and removing the lost phone from your account, as attackers could use it by clicking on "Forgot Password" and requesting to receive a password reset email.

You should also closely monitor important accounts like online banking and accounts that have a copy of your payment information. If you receive a notification about a login that you do not recognize, go ahead and change your password for this account immediately and do the same for all accounts where you use a similar password.

Recommendation

To find the exact steps required, please search for "<service name> change password and log out device".

Good to know

Depending on your specific situation, please keep in mind that attackers that have access to your phone, might also be able to log into accounts where you use two-factor authentication (for example by requesting a code via SMS).

Let your phone protect itself

Even if it was unlocked or someone knew your PIN!

Apple and Google both developed new advanced security features to protect your phone, even in the case someone got both your phone and passcode or snitched it while it was unlocked:

• Stolen Device Protection
• Theft Protection

These features basically add another level of authentication that must be completed. Once enabled, if someone likes to ...

• change your device PIN/passcode
• change your Apple ID/Google account password
• disable the Find My/Find My Device tracking feature
• or access your saved passwords (/)

... your device will enforce a time delay and prompt for biometric authentication.

How?

iPhone

1. Go to Face ID & Passcodes.
2. Select Stolen Device Protection.

Android

1. Go to Settings.
2. Click on Google/your account name.
3. Hit All services.
4. Select Theft Protection.