You may recall that, back in issue 345, I questioned just how much of a real-world risk shoulder surfing is to smartphone users. My conclusion was that, while it most certainly is an approach used by some opportunist thieves, there’s little evidence to suggest it’s rife on the streets of the UK.
Nor is it the hardest of attack methodologies to thwart if you follow privacy and security best practice. On the privacy side of things that means treating your smartphone PIN in the same way you should your bank card PIN. Most folk do their best to keep the latter to themselves, especially when at the cash machine. Hand-cupping and awareness of those around you come into play.
When it comes to security, if you must use a numerical PIN then for goodness’ sake make it a lengthy one. I recommend at least eight digits and preferably ten or more. Better still, replace it with a longer password or passphrase. Sure, a thieving scrote could video you entering it (which wouldn’t look at all suspicious to anyone nearby), but that’s where the privacy awareness thing comes in.
Why am I mentioning this again so soon? Partly because it’s
