If you’re wondering what to do if your phone is lost, move fast: lock it, sign it out of your accounts, cut off app and cloud access, and wipe it if it’s gone for good—then tell your company right away if you use it for work.
Why a Missing Device Is a Big Deal
Losing a smartphone or laptop is stressful. Those devices hold work files, personal details, apps, passwords, and a direct path into many of your online accounts. The hardware can be replaced. The data and access it provides are the real risk.
About 70 million smartphones go missing each year, and only around 7% are recovered. More than half of stolen devices disappear at the workplace (52%)—not great news for busy offices around Panama City. If the device is used for work, the fallout can include a data privacy incident or even ransomware.
Lifespan Health System paid a $1,040,000 HIPAA fine in 2020 after an unencrypted stolen laptop led to a breach.
What Your Phone or Laptop Can Reveal
In the wrong hands, a phone, tablet, or laptop can expose:
- Work and personal documents
- Photos and videos
- Any app you’re already signed into
- Passwords saved in your web browser
- Cloud storage via a syncing account
- Text messages
- Two-step login codes (multi-factor authentication) sent by SMS
- And more
What to Do If Your Phone Is Lost (or a Work Laptop)
Speed matters. The sooner you act, the less chance a thief has to use your data or your accounts.
Turn On Remote Lock Right Away
Most phones and laptops include a remote lock feature you can trigger from another device if it was set up ahead of time and location services are on. Even if a skilled thief can eventually get past a passcode, locking it immediately buys time and helps protect your information.
Use “Find My Device” Carefully
Many devices also offer a “find my device” option in the same area as the lock feature. Use it only if you believe the device is simply misplaced. Don’t put yourself in harm’s way by trying to recover a stolen device on your own.
If You Use It for Work, Report It Now
Tell your company as soon as you notice the device is missing—even if it’s your personal phone and you only read work email on it. Many organizations use device management tools, so IT can immediately block access to company accounts and networks. Fast reporting can greatly reduce the chance of a data breach.
Sign Out and Revoke Access to Online Tools
Most of us stay signed in to cloud apps on our devices (Microsoft 365, Trello, Salesforce, and others). From another computer, log in to each account in a web browser, find the list of authorized devices or active sessions, and sign out the missing device. If there’s an option to revoke or block access, use it.
Do the Same for Cloud Storage
Don’t forget cloud storage. If your phone or laptop syncs to a storage platform, an attacker could use that link to upload malware to your whole drive or trigger deletions. Remove the missing device from your storage account and kill its access.
If It Won’t Turn Up, Erase It Remotely
Ideally, your devices are backed up regularly. If it’s clear the device is stolen or not coming back, use the remote wipe option (if it was enabled) to erase its data.
Need Help Protecting Mobile Devices?
No matter the size of your business, managing and securing phones, tablets, and laptops is essential. If you want help putting better mobile device security in place for your team, we’re here to help.
If you’d like guidance or want to put stronger protections in place for devices across your office, get in touch with Flux Labs.
