What To Do Immediately After Losing Your Phone, Expert Advises

• A phone is a basic communication tool in the current digital world, and losing one could be stressful for users
• Cybersecurity expert Allan Lwala said people can locate their lost phones using the 'find my device' feature and with the help of the police
• He told TUKO.co.ke that most phones come with built-in mechanisms for user authentication but warned that they are prone to misuse

TUKO.co.ke journalist Japhet Ruto has over eight years of experience in financial, business, and technology reporting and offers profound insights into Kenyan and global economic trends.

Cases of Kenyans losing their phones, especially in towns and cities, are rampant.

With a phone being a basic communication device nowadays, losing one could be devastating.

What to do if you lose your phone

1. Report to the police

In an exclusive interview with TUKO.co.ke, cybersecurity expert Allan Lwala listed the steps to follow if one loses their phone.

He advised Kenyans to report the incident to the nearest police station immediately. The officers can help locate it using the 'find my device' feature.

"Report to the nearest police station. If 'find my device' is enabled, one could try and locate the device with the help of law enforcement," Lwala said.

2. Why you should backup your data

Lwala also recommended backing up data on the phone on online platforms.

He said this ensures access to important data even when the device is lost.

"Backup your data by having secure passphrases and other phone locking options. Multiple online/cloud backups are also recommended e.g. on Google, Dropbox, Box, etc. This enables access even when the device is unavailable."

3. How to safeguard personal accounts

According to Lwala, most phones come with built-in mechanisms for user authentication.

However, he warned that they are prone to misuse.

"Most of these apps have built-in features that authenticate users. This goes back to strong and unique passwords, PINs, and one-time passwords. Not all have adequate security, and thus, they are easily prone to misuse," he explained.

4. Why you should seek assistance from your telco

The cybersecurity expert insisted that the user is responsible for locating their device with the help of the police, failing which they can seek assistance from the mobile network operator (MNO).

"MNOs have no role in securing and/or locating the device. It is the user's responsibility. As per Kenyan law, when a device is lost, only the police have the mandate to locate it. They can only seek assistance from the MNOs," Lwala expounded.

5. Why you must have strong passwords

Lwala recommended that all mobile phone users secure their devices and apps with unique passwords that cannot be easily breached.

One way to do this is to enable multifactor authentication, which requires users to enter more information, such as codes, after inputting the password.

"Since our lives are highly dependent on these devices, it is advisable to have copies and backups of any critical information on them. Secure your devices and apps with strong and unique passwords/passphrases, enable multifactor authentication where applicable, and minimise the amount of data stored on them," he concluded.

How to prevent SIM swap fraud

In related news, numerous frauds have targeted bank and mobile money accounts, resulting in losses of thousands of shillings from unsuspecting Kenyans.

SIM swap fraud allows a hacker to access a victim's online accounts, enabling them to steal money.

Lwala told TUKO.co.ke that it is accomplished using social engineering strategies, including impersonating the victim's identity.

Safaricom unveiled an Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) code (*100*100#) that users can dial and whitelist their mobile phone numbers.

Proofreading by Mercy Nyambura Guthua, journalist and copy editor at TUKO.co.ke