Regrettably, mobile device theft has now reached all-time highs domestically and abroad.
Profitable for hardware thieves as well as identity predators alike, smartphones and tablets are now seen the world over as the hottest and also perhaps the easiest items to steal.
“Going back as far as 2009, smartphones have even contributed to the funding of terrorist organizations,” writes David Gewirtz of ZDNet.
So just how bad has the problem become? According to Consumer Reports, a staggering 1.6 million smartphones were stolen in the United States in 2012. Although definitive numbers for 2013 have not yet been nailed down, smartphone theft incidents are projected to have been much greater last year.
In 2014 and 2015, however, tablet theft is expected to surge and potentially rival the rate at which smartphones are swiped from the home and office. And even though a wide array of mobile apps and tracking devices add some degree of security against identity and data theft, losing a mobile device remains a massive inconvenience that can still be avoided if the proper steps are taken.
So what’s the trendiest tactic today when it comes to curbing tablet theft? As it turns out, plenty of security vault owners are jumping the “gun” and making room alongside their firearms to store tablets in their Fort Knox vaults.
Many consumer electronics junkies are no longer trusting their tablets to nightstands, office drawers, and coffee tables in their absence at the home or in the workplace. Consequently, the most respected brand name in safes and vaults, Fort Knox, is quickly becoming the go-to option for tablet owners who wish to lock up their gadgets.
The FCC reports that approximately one-in-three robberies are now mobile-device-related. What’s more, half of all robberies in New York and San Francisco now involve mobile gadgets. In other markets, it’s closer to 75%.
“It may sound extreme to include your iPad along with your pistol and grandmother’s pearls, but there’s no separating tablets and other technologies from the most valuable of your valuables,” says tech security analyst Ian Hayes. “So do I think the ‘Fort Knox’ solution for tablet security is extreme? Not at all. What’s it worth to you to prevent a criminal from accessing your personal information, contacts, or credit card information off your tablet? If someone enters your home or business, the first things they’re going to look for are portable electronics. So when you’re not using them and you’re not around them, lock them up.”
