What personally identifiable information should I delete from my smartphone and email before travelling to a high-risk country?
I'll be travelling to Mongolia, and I've heard there's a non-trivial chance of theft. I'll be taking two Apple iPhones with me, and I'm not too concerned about the theft of the devices themselves, as that's a bounded cost.
Do I need to take precautions against identity theft, and if so, what personally identifiable information should I delete from my smartphone and email before travelling?
The only personally identifiable information on my email and smartphone relate to me as an Australian - I have worked for a year in the US, but that was prior to me setting up the only email account set up on my phones, and buying my iPhones.
Related questions: Photocopies of important documents stolen (more about what to do after theft has occurred, not beforehand), and What harm can be done with a copy of one's passport? (specific to passports). Wikivoyage has a section on identity theft, but it's more or less only about passports.
Best Answer
None, as long as you lock your phone with a password. It took the FBI several weeks of efforts to crack an iPhone belonging to the San Bernardino mass shooter, so a random low-level thief won't have the skills or tools to access your encrypted information.
I would worry more about information stolen on your laptop, although that also can be mitigated by encrypting your drive with VeraCrypt or a similar piece of software.
Pictures about "What personally identifiable information should I delete from my smartphone and email before travelling to a high-risk country?"
Delete Personal Data▶️ 3 Best Services For Removal of Personally Identifiable Information
More answers regarding what personally identifiable information should I delete from my smartphone and email before travelling to a high-risk country?
Answer 2
Unless you need that specific device, I would get a throw-away device to carry in questionable situations. You can get decent Android devices for under $100 US.
Answer 3
Most people that target identify theft are not looking at your cellular phone; they are looking at things that can be used to impersonate you - so your id card, passport, etc.
People stealing phones are looking at reselling them for a quick buck. So, if you put a passcode on your phone, it makes it less of a target for being sold on. iPhones in particular have robust security (as detailed by Greg).
I would not be worried about my identity being stolen via my phone.
Answer 4
Everyone has given good advice about the phone and that it will almost undoubtedly be safe if you put a password on it (rather than a short PIN). The only issue that I see is to ensure that access to your email service is encrypted. Almost all are these days, so it's only a concern if you access mail without using SSL.
You will see this under Advanced Settings in account setup where it should have "Use SSL" selected.
Answer 5
The only other recommendation I have is to delete (uninstall/remove) any banking related apps on the phone before your travel, for 3 reasons:
- It is not too difficult to retrieve logs generated by apps installed on a phone and I wouldn't completely rely on the banks that they have secured their apps in all possible ways
- You are likely to access internet via public WiFi
- If for any reason you need the apps, you can always re-install them
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Monstera, Monstera, Monstera, Ethan Wilkinson