Misplacing a device, or having one stolen, is a stressful occurrence. Along with the inconvenience of no longer having a smartphone or tablet comes the risk of unauthorised access to banking accounts and the potential for identity theft.
With this in mind, Kaspersky experts suggest following this 5-step plan to locate your lost device.
Step 1: Try to locate it via another device
The first step that could help to find your phone is to activate the Find My Device feature for Android or Find My for iOS to locate it. You can enter your Google or Apple ID account from the other device and see the list of devices linked to the account. It is important that in order to use any functionality related to the device location, all those features must be activated in advance.
Step 2: Block your phone and watch for scammers
Once you’ve logged into your account and located the missing device in the list, switch it to “Lost” mode. Then, hit the “Block” button. You can create a new password and add a message or contact number for whoever finds the phone to see. If the device isn’t connected to the internet, the lock will activate as soon as it goes online.
Stay cautious, if the phone falls into the hands of intruders, they may try to contact you and extort personal data to access the phone. It’s highly recommended to warn your friends and relatives about the device loss whilst your mobile phone can be used for calls or messages from your number with requests for money or questions, all of which should be ignored.
Step 3: Block access – SIM, bank cards, passwords
Promptly contact the mobile operator and block your SIM card, so you will eliminate the risk of using it for unscrupulous purposes. Also contact your bank to block any cards linked to the device or unlink those accounts.
Additionally, it’s recommended to protect the Kaspersky app itself from being uninstalled. Thieves often try to remove security apps first.
Step 4: Check for the backups
As for other data such as photos, notes or messages stored on the phone, unfortunately, it will be only possible to restore it if you have backups or syncing with the cloud configured. If you had enabled device backups before the loss, you can restore almost everything, from contacts and photos to text messages.
Step 5: Remotely erase your device, if there is no hope of finding it
In parallel with how you perform all the actions described above, it is highly recommended to report the loss to local authorities and follow their guidance. However, if you are certain that the phone cannot be recovered, the final recourse is to erase all data from the device completely..
“In the routine of daily operations, it is easy to overlook how many critical aspects of our digital lives are tied to our mobile devices, and how seldom we consider that losing a phone may lead not only to inconvenience, but also to data loss, compromised access to essential accounts, or even identity theft. At Kaspersky, we think in advance for your safety, going beyond just an antivirus solution. We fully understand the risks and disruptions that a lost or stolen phone can cause. That is why our solutions are designed to mitigate those risks,” comments Dmitry Kalinin, Senior Malware Analyst at Kaspersky.
