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"Hopefully you\u2019ve never experienced that sinking feeling the moment you realize that you\u2019ve either lost or had your mobile device stolen. This situation alone can be enough to paralyze some, but if it happens while you\u2019re away from home on unfamiliar territory, it\u2019s even worse.\r\n\r\nFor all the love, joy, and productivity that our mobile devices bring us, it\u2019s often a sobering reminder that they are relatively tiny devices that can either slide right out of those comfortable holiday shorts, or can be deftly lifted off a dinner table. And while we take the services offered by these devices for granted, in the wrong hands, they can cause a world full of digital damage. So if you find yourself in this situation, what do you do?\r\nFind it\r\nYour main concern is tracking down your lost device (kind of a no-brainer). If you\u2019re at a restaurant, speak with the ma\u00EEtre d' and inform them that you\u2019ve lost your phone. The chances may be slim, but a kind patron may have returned it \u2014 you never know!\r\n\r\nNext on your checklist should be filing a police report. While this might not exactly fall under your holiday plans, many insurance providers and mobile carriers will require a crime reference number to issue any kind of credit should you find some \u201Cnew\u201D or \u201Cinteresting\u201D charges on your next billing statement. Filing a report might not recover your phone, but it\u2019d be a shame to find out that you would have been entitled to credits or cash if you\u2019d taken the time to file one.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nNow that the physical locations are squared away, it\u2019s time to put the power of technology to use! The most basic of all security functions is activating any passcode feature your device may offer to unlock it. iPhone users can find this Passcode Lock feature under General Settings. Android users, navigate to Settings &amp;amp;gt; Location &amp;amp;amp; Security &amp;amp;gt; Set up screen lock. Savvy thieves will be able to bypass this lock, but if you\u2019ve lost your device and have a screen lock enabled, you\u2019re one step closer to keeping your data secure.\r\n\r\niPhone users can also put the power of\u00A0Find My iPhone\u00A0to use (provided you\u2019ve activated the service \u2013 a must while traveling). Android and BlackBerry users also have a host of apps that offer the same service.\r\n\r\nAndroid owners can use the LocateMyDroid app, which offers GPS tracking and the option to remotely lock a device. The app also offers a feature deftly labeled the \u201CScream Feature\u201D, which broadcasts the ringer at maximum volume, making your device that much easier to find if you\u2019re within earshot.\r\n\r\nWhile the privacy debate rages on about Apple tracking your every move, in situations like this, it can be a godsend. A quick visit to your iCloud account will provide you with your iPhone\u2019s geolocation almost instantly. From this dashboard, you can choose to send a message to whoever found your phone, lock your phone, or, wipe all of your data. Keep in mind: you accidentally lost your phone and someone else may also have accidentally picked it up. If you\u2019ve been targeted by a smartphone thief, though, don\u2019t give your phone\u2019s captor any valuable information, like your location. Try offering a modest reward and provide the address of the police department where you filed the initial report.\r\nPut it in the Cloud\r\nYour device may be lost, but that doesn't mean your data is.\r\n\r\nIf you\u2019re not already using a form of cloud-based storage, it\u2019s time to get on board. Dropbox\u00A0offers 2 GB of free storage, and up to 18 GB if you rake in the maximum referral cap. Sign up online, download and install the service on your computer and you\u2019ve got your own personal data center, stored in the cloud and accessible anywhere. Dropbox also boasts mobile apps for iOS, Android, and BlackBerry. (Tip: borrow your friend\u2019s smartphone and access your account on the go.)\u00A0\r\n\r\nNot a fan of Dropbox? Google recently announced Drive, a similar product that offers 5 GB of cloud storage, with the added benefit of being connected to your Google Account. Google Drive is accessible via a standard browser \u2014\u00A0just login using your Google account. Unfortunately, you can\u2019t use Drive on a mobile device yet. Mobile offerings for iOS and Android are coming soon.\r\n\r\nNot specifically a file storage system, Apple/iPhone users can take advantage of iCloud service which offers handy access to your @me.com\u00A0email, contacts, calendar, and most importantly, the Find My iPhone service. You won\u2019t be able to save your latest .psd files in iCloud, but if you\u2019ve been meticulous in entering pertinent information in your calendar, or have been using your @me.com\u00A0email address, you\u2019ll have instant access to data. Additionally, if you back up your iPhone settings to iCloud, if/when your device is returned or you get another one, you can instantly update your new phone with existing data.\r\n\r\nIf you\u2019re already using cloud storage services, consider removing any highly sensitive data (in fact, if it\u2019s that sensitive, you probably shouldn\u2019t be storing it in the Cloud anyway), and slim your cloud storage folder(s) down to the bare minimum. It\u2019s also a good idea to create a folder specifically for your trip with contact information, travel receipts, booking confirmations, etc. This way, if and when your device goes missing, you\u2019ve still got everything you need to put a roof over your head (and hopefully, a drink in your hand).\r\nChange your Password(s)\r\nLike it or not, if a stranger has access to your mobile device\u2019s dashboard, they\u2019re plugged in to your entire digital world. Tweets, Facebook posts, SMS messages, and more are all susceptible to a stranger if you access these from your mobile, sans password.\r\n\r\nOnce it looks like your device isn\u2019t just in the wrong bag, or at the bottom of your shorts pocket, it\u2019s time to start resetting your passwords. If you\u2019re like me, you\u2019ve probably learned the \u201Cone password\u201D rule the hard way in the past, and may have had one of your accounts hacked. Having gone through this ordeal, I make it a point to have highly secure, random passwords for every account I have on the Internet. The trick, of course, is remembering them all.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nWhen instigating a round of password changes, the very first password that you need to secure is your primary email account. This is the account where all other password changes usually have to be confirmed, thus make this your first stop. If your antagonist has already changed your email password, most email providers offer a support system to get you back on track. It\u2019s also a good idea to have an alternate email address set up connected to your mail account to get you back in good standing with your main mail account.\r\n\r\nPersonally, I\u2019m a huge fan of AgileBits\u2019\u00A01Password, but have also been using\u00A0LastPass\u00A0recently to compare features. Both of these services (and others) provide a simple, yet highly effective service: they allow you to securely store all of your passwords in one location, with only one password needed to access these items.\r\n\r\nOn its own, 1Password wouldn\u2019t really help us on holiday, unless of course you\u2019re carrying your laptop with you, which practically defeats the point of mobility. However, when used in conjunction with Dropbox (you did sign up for an account already, right?), AgileBits offers the\u00A01PasswordAnywhere\u00A0service, which allows you to access your 1Password data via an html file. Just don\u2019t lose your Dropbox or 1Password passwords.\r\n\r\nSide note: It\u2019s highly recommended to use 1Password in combination with Dropbox, as the combo allows you to sync any changes made on one machine to another and vice versa.\r\n\r\nLassPass offers similar services to the 1Password/Dropbox combo, but eliminates the Dropbox step. All of your data is stored on encrypted servers in the Cloud and can be synced via various browser extensions. Premium subscribers have access to a few\u00A0additional features, but their free version should have just about anything you\u2019ll need while on vacation.\r\nLet Them Know\r\n\r\n\r\nAfter you\u2019ve changed all of your passwords, the next best course of action is to let your connections know that your mobile device has gone amiss. First, notify your mobile service provider. (You may have already done this at the\u00A0police station.) Many carriers have a policy that absolves you from any charges incurred while your device is not in your possession. Oh, remember that holiday file that you stored in the cloud? Including your service provider\u2019s customer support hotline in that folder is a good idea. If you\u2019ve lost or had your company-issued mobile device stolen, contact your employer immediately. Your IT department might have a policy in place to remotely block all access to corporate information. (Why you\u2019d be on holiday with your company\u2019s device is a whole other story\u2026)In regards to your social world, one Facebook post and/or tweet goes a long way. Once your connections know you haven\u2019t been using your mobile device, you won\u2019t be responsible for any, er, questionable content that may have popped up on your profiles.\r\nTake it all in\r\nBottom line: No one likes being disconnected.\r\n\r\nHaving no access to friends, family (or business contacts) wasn\u2019t at the top of your to-do list \u2014\u00A0or any\u00A0list \u2014\u00A0while on vacation. And while going through the process of reporting the loss, changing your passwords, updating your profiles, etc. is something no one wants to do on their holiday, I offer up the post-phone holiday. Instead of reaching for the window to the digital world in your pocket, why not see your smartphone loss as a blessing in disguise? Look out the window of your bungalow (or wherever you are) and embrace the trip you\u2019re taking.\r\n\r\nOkay, now put your iPad down. You\u2019ve got a sandcastle to build.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nShane White\u00A0via shutterstock\r\n\r\n"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://thenextweb.com/lifehacks/2012/06/17/youve-lost-or-had-your-mobile-phone-stolen-on-holiday-now-what/>