Communication Safety

Your phone is listening

Just picture this: you are being followed by a strange man at all times. You start observing that as you walk or drive around town; he makes a note of just about everything you do. What is even scarier is that when you call someone, he is always listening to what you and your friends and family say. He is constantly asking you about every single one of your voicemails and knows about whom you're talking to and who's talking to you. You don't really know this man, but he knows everything about you. Every night, when you go to sleep, he never forgets to wait outside your house and organize every note that he took from you. You started getting worried when you saw the strange man handing over his notebook and documents to federal agents.

Every morning, he's standing waiting for you to wake up so he can start taking notes.

You may be surprised to hear that your telephone or cell phone is that man. However, see how it doesn't bother you like an actual man would, because its transcription process is done automatically, its recording machines aren't conscious and most of the process is invisible to your eyes. But as you use your cell phone and telephone, don’t forget that this man really exists.

Last year, it was reported that law enforcement agencies requested information from wireless agencies 1.3 million times. This is a serious cause for concern.

Here are some tips for keeping your private information safe:

Set a Password. Without setting up a password, just about anyone is able to take your phone and start listening to your recorded voicemail. Many people mistakenly believe that there is no need for using a password. In reality, setting a password is a very important measure of privacy defense and it only takes less than 2 minutes.

Private info. Never forget the possibility that someone may be recording what you’re saying on the phone. This means that you should never mention any private or personal information from yourself or family members on the phone. You never know who may get hold of that information.

Phone history. On all cell phones and telephones you have access to the list of recently dialed numbers and received calls. These numbers may contain numbers you typed such as credit card numbers. It is important to clean up such information before making a private call.

Keep contact list information simple. Do not keep your family members addresses on your cell phone. If your cell phone is stolen, the thief will have a lot of information about you. Keep your contact list simple and stripped of important information.

Remove important information. Most cell phones can also act as an electronic agenda. Anyone who gets a hold of your phone will know where you will be and when. If you are concerned about your privacy, keep it basic.

Before selling a phone. Make sure you erase all personal information before you give the phone away. This is if you give your cell phone away for recycling or selling. Make sure you erase all information from the phone. Most telephones and cell phones have an option to erase all information and reset to factory default.