Personal Security: Protecting Our Phone Data & Using Anonymous Phones

On October 11th, 2018, US rapper Kanye West accidentally revealed his phone’s passcode to the world during his meeting at the Oval Office with President Trump. He was caught on camera unlocking his phone with the digits 000000 when showing the president images of a hydrogen-powered plane which in Kanye’s opinion should be the presidential aircraft. His passcode, 000000, came as a surprise to many as it is a very weak passcode especially for a man of his caliber.

While having weak passcode like six zeros is risky and unwise, the real danger in Kanye’s experience was at the cameras behind him. Complex passwords can be secure but not in the presence of curious people and their cameras. Unfortunately, most people tend to forget this critical security measure. We tend to enter our passcodes whenever we need access to our phones without checking whether the environment is safe. Passwords are for privacy and protection of data. The moment your password is shared to an unauthorized party, your personal information and your privacy is compromised. Many stars and celebrities tend to forget that there are always cameras and people watching them, and as a result, they unknowingly make such careless mistakes that put them in danger.

Kanye West’s ‘accident’ therefore is a reminder to all who value their privacy that they should always be aware of cameras and malicious people and that it is necessary to take extra luxury private security precautions to protect their personal data. There are various ways to keep your data safe depending on how tightly you want to secure your phone or your computer. Some of the most useful steps to securing your device’s data include;

•         Use VPN on your device
•         Utilize appropriate security settings
•         Buy devices and property anonymously
•         Keep your phone number off websites
•         Clear personal data from any public database
•         Have an anonymous phone number and email address
•         Monitor the privacy settings on your devices
•         Set-up encrypted communications (calls, texts, & emails)
•         Make your phone anonymous and encrypt your messages.

An anonymous phone is a convenient way to enjoy the use of technology privately and securely. It, however, requires that you strictly observe some crucial measures such as;

•         Avoid airport wifi
•         Ensure that your Bluetooth is always off and use a password whenever you need to use it
•         Avoid using your anonymous phone to browse
•         Never use I-cloud
•         Do not use your personal information on your anonymous phone
•         Never make or receive calls from this phone
•         Avoid watching or downloading videos from this phone
•         Avoid adding applications
•         Purchase the phone anonymously
•         Use your hotspots only and ensure that they have passwords
•         Put the phone in a faraday bag when not in use
•         Turn off SIRI
•         Never use its texting system to text.

In conclusion, requirements for protecting your data and using phones anonymously may seem extreme, but they are necessary for keeping you safe. Consult an Executive Protection company if you need help with protecting your privacy.