The Inconvenient Truth: Easy = Less Secure

The simple fact is that convenience is the opposite of security. The easier things are for you to use, the easier they are for someone else to get into. In a world where all your devices and information are connected together, it is a tough pill to swallow to set up security measures that add hurdles and small inconveniences when using all your great technology. However, as tech journalist Mat Honan learned first hand, your information security is all up to you and a small inconvenience can prevent your entire digital life from being wiped out.

Smartphones and tablets are amazing devices that enable us to do just about anything, anywhere. This is precisely the reason why they should be one of your most protected devices. You absolutely should have the security code on your phone and tablet turned on. If you don’t, go turn it on right now. Yes, you will have to enter a code every time you want to get into your device. Yes, that is one more step before you can check your email or post to Twitter, but isn’t that better than risking someone else being able to get to and use all your personal and private information if the device were to be left somewhere or taken?

By now anyone with email is used to living in a world of possible malware, hackers and other technical boogey men. However, some of the most effective ways to get at personal information no longer have anything to do with nefarious uses of technology. Instead, social engineering is the way that the bad guys are getting the information they need to perform their dastardly deeds.