Starting tomorrow, the iPhone (News - Alert) 5 can begin to be pre-ordered. While millions of you are sitting on your hands waiting for the newest version because you don’t want to touch a single thing until it’s majestically resting in your palm (don’t deny it, you know it’s true), there’s another group of more sneaky individuals just counting down the days for you to get a hold of the new device, as well. When that glorious day comes and you do have your iPhone 5, you may be so dazzled during the honeymoon stage that you forget one very important thing.

New smartphone devices can be fun and exciting to explore and play with, but they are light to the hacker moths which consume them. So while you’re checking out the new features of iPhone 5, you could be unknowingly leaving your information unprotected and vulnerable to theft.

Apple image via Shutterstock

ProtectMyID, a leading, full-service provider of identity theft detection, protection and fraud resolution solutions, has four critical tips to battling smartphone hackers gearing up to steal the joy of owning the latest and greatest smartphone:

1.       When you first buy your phone, password protect it with a unique password, and be sure to use different passwords for each online account. 

2.       When you finished downloading and testing all those cool applications, log out of them- especially those that automatically access payment information.

3.       Only use trusted Wi-Fi networks. With 4G and faster mobile networks, you should reduce the need for Wi-Fi hotspot access, but stay clear of open Wi-Fi networks as they are a perfect spot for malware traps.

4.       Learn what your specific mobile device needs to make it secure and actively manage that security.  Security apps will depend on the operating system, personal preference and budget.

Be sure to be wary and follow these steps. Enjoy!

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