Our Smart Phones, Ourselves

Ever since giving up our land line, I've realized the importance of my iPhone.  Leave it in the car? Miss a call from my mother. "I never know whether you got my call or not," she worries. Leave it upstairs in my office? Miss a text from my son. "Happy Mother's Day, Mommy Dearest! When can we chat?" It's almost gotten to the point where I'm considering wearing a fanny pack to always have it on me. Emphasis on almost. Not the best look for me.

Then, last week, my Facebook account got hacked. Argh! The angst! The agony! Changing passwords, alerting friends who had alerted me, changing passwords again after notifying Facebook.... It was beyond the pits. I've been determined ever since to get more secure online, and especially on my phone. These tips from the AARP are very timely.  Taking the steps they suggest can be a pain in the butt, but mild in comparison to the pain of an all-out identity theft.