by Dave Moore, CISSP
01/15/2023
Smart phones, iPhones, Windows phones, cell phones, Android phones, it seems that everyone has some sort of a mobile phone. No longer just a “phone,” though, your cell phone is actually a powerful computer that just also happens to make phone calls.
Just for fun, try asking someone what the “cell” in “cell phone” means. Let me know if you get anything other than a, “huh?”
What would you do if you lost your cell phone, or if it was somehow destroyed? Studies show that many millions of cell phones are lost or broken every year. Sometimes, cell phones can be repaired, sometimes, not.
I actually once repaired my daughters’ cell phone, which had been rendered inoperable after it fell in a toilet. Fortunately, the toilet was clean, but it took forever to disassemble the phone and all of its teeny, tiny connectors and doodads. After a long session under a hair dryer, the phone, miraculously, lived. A few months later I had the privilege of repairing the same phone after it went through the clothes washer. It still worked, after a fashion, but the sound and screen were never quite the same.
Have you thought about what you would do if you lost all of the data on your cell phone? How many phone numbers do you have memorized? Are they recorded anywhere other than in your phone? These tiny, portable computers are often being used to store important, hard-to-replace information, such as business contacts, text messages, financial files, passwords and memos, as well as non-critical items such as songs and movies. I hope you are not using your cell phone as your only storage device for precious family photos.
As such, it’s becoming just as important to back up cell phones as it is to back up desktop and laptop computers. Cell phone backup methods can be different from those used with conventional computers, so it pays to know your phone and how to back it up.
Many cell phones can be connected directly to a computer, with the most trouble-free method using a phone-to-USB cable. It’s easy, just like connecting a digital camera.
Cell phone manufacturers usually provide free software to allow data transfer between the two devices, making the direct-connect method the least expensive, as well. Often times, you can use the same cable that is used to charge the phone’s battery. Just unplug it from the charger and plug it into any computer. Check the website of your phone’s manufacturer and you’ll probably find software designed to backup your phone, as well.
The direct-connect method allows the user to back up all of his cell phone data, including contact phone numbers, text messages, pictures, videos and music. Other backup methods exist which may be easier to use, but are typically limited to only backing up your contact lists.
Most cell phone carriers also offer backup services, some free, some for a small fee. They are, again, pretty much limited to only backing up your contact information. Still, these backups can be extremely valuable.
iPhone users have very complete backup options based on Apple’s iCloud. However, these options are proprietary and tied to the device. Users of these devices should make sure that they are being properly backed up and should also perform a test or two to make sure that they know how to restore their files in the event of a device failure, because, no matter how magical you think an iPhone is, it will, someday, fail.
Whatever you do, backup your cell phone data and do it today. Recovering lost cell phone data is a real hassle.
Dave Moore, CISSP, has been fixing computers in Oklahoma since 1984. Founder of the non-profit Internet Safety Group Ltd., he also teaches Internet safety community training workshops. He can be reached at 405-919-9901 or www.internetsafetygroup.org