More than sound advice from Technoratifor anyone - and isn't that everybody? - who uses a mobile phone:
Cell phone monitoring is a big issue, and scandals like News of the World and CarrierIQ reveal how pervasive the issue is, and how easily it is for people and companies to monitor cell phones.
Wikileaks founder Julian Assange warned cell phone users of this problem earlier this month when he released details of companies that are selling information they obtain through cell phone monitoring. According to Assange, more than 150 companies around the world have the ability to use cell phones as tracking devices to intercept messages and to listen to calls.
Don’t think it’s true and that Assange is just a nutcase? Then consider that Verizon Wireless, the largest cellular carrier in the U.S., is already monitoring cell phones and selling the information. In October, Verizon enrolled its entire customer base into its program to track customer usage and location, as well as browsing data, demographic info, and app usage. Customers can get out of all this by opting out through their account online. Although Verizon says that it’s only collecting and selling the information for marketing purposes, many people just don’t want their information to be tracked on their cell phones at all.
It’s highly unlikely that anyone will stop using a cell phone all together. People may not like to be tracked, but will probably not give up the conveniences of a cell phone. Fortunately, there’s another way to avoid cell phone monitoring. It’s called a virtual private network, or a VPN.
A VPN fully encrypts any data that’s sent over its network. Any program or code that tries to get into track or to capture that data, like the websites you browse or the terms you search, will only get encrypted data in return. Or, the VPN will consider it a Trojan and block it entirely. This means that on a VPN, you can still use your Verizon phone, or any cell phone, and make all the calls you want, but your info won’t be able to be tracked and won’t be sold or monitored by other companies. A VPN from vpn4all.com or ocshield.com will keep your browsing data, password data, and emails secure.
Cell phone monitoring is a very real issue, and is something that affects anyone with a cell phone and/or another mobile device. Data security is not something that should be taken lightly, and should be enforced on more than just your Facebook account. Take the initiative on your data security by setting up a VPN.
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