Security breaches are becoming more common every day unfortunately. Reputable cell phone repair experts are cautioning consumers to do one important preventative security measure before they attempt to sell or trade-in their cell phones.

Read on to learn how to keep your personal data stored on your cell phone safe and inaccessible to hackers trying to steal personal identity details.

Why Cell Phone Security Has Become a Real Threat for Identity Theft

Smartphones and other electronic devices that connect to the Internet are true game changers for many aspects of our lives these days. As people become more comfortable using these technological devices, more personal information gets stored in these phones and other devices.

This sets up the perfect situation for an identity theft. Some cell phones and other Internet connected devices have some glitches in their design that allows knowledgeable cyber criminals to hack into the device to access personal identity information like birthdates, bank account details. passwords, medical information and more.

Always Power-Off Your Cell Phone Every So Often to Trigger System Updates

Many cell phone users never power off their phones very often. This can lead to problems with the system as new updates are not downloaded regularly like they should be. Always power-off your cell phone every so often to trigger the system to update the latest manufacturer updates.

Wipe Then Reset Your Cell Phone Prior to Selling or Trading-In

One of the biggest mistakes that cell phone users tend to make is to sell, trade-in or giveaway their phones without wiping the system first so all personal data remains safe and secure. It is an easy job for criminals to simply log onto your phone to mine that treasure trove source of personal data.

Before wiping your phone, be sure to back up your information first. Otherwise, the reset will cause you to lose valuable information like photos, phone lists and other data. If you do not have the storage for backup information, you can do this through iCloud. Just remember to keep phone charged while performing the back up as this can take some time.

Reset Your Cell Phone Back to Factory Settings

After you back-up your phone, use the reset setting to reset your cell phone settings back to the factory settings. If you are unsure how to do this, take your phone to a repair or retail specialist, like LifeLine Repair, to perform this important task for you.