Cnil recommends how to protect personal data on smartphones

French data protection authority Cnil has published a study on mobile phone security and ten recommendations on how to stay in control of personal data, such as geographical position, with the latest generation of smartphones. Based on a November survey of over 2,300 people commissioned from market research company Mediametrie, Cnil states that teenagers are savvier about the risks of personal data storage on smartphones than their elders, reports Le Monde with AFP. Some 82 percent of 15-17 year-olds find it bothersome to register their passwords, compared to an overall average of 76 percent, and 37 percent use a specific locking code, versus a 31 percent average. The study also found that 89 percent of smartphone owners store contacts, 86 percent multimedia content, and 40 percent confidential information such as bank details, passwords and building entry codes. Even though 65 percent of respondents think that data in their smartphones is not well protected, 30 percent said they do not use a password. Cnil's recommendations include not putting confidential information on their handsets, changing the default PIN code to a complicated one (not date of birth) or four digits, automatic locking, antivirus, and disactivating GPS or Wi-Fi when not using a location app.