The Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation warned against storing confidential data on the phone

On October 2, the Department for Combating the Illegal Use of Information and Communication Technologies of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia warned about the risks of storing confidential information such as photographs of documents, passwords and bank notifications in phones.

"A modern smartphone is more than a means of communication. It stores our finances, documents, and personal history. At the same time, by getting remote (through the military—industrial complex) or physical (in case of theft) access to the device, all this may end up in the hands of intruders," the department's Telegram channel reported.

According to experts, scanned copies of documents such as passport, SNILS, INN, driver's license, and bank card information can be a real godsend for fraudsters who use them to access personal accounts, create fakes, or use social engineering.

The Interior Ministry also drew attention to threats related to passwords, which many users keep in notes on their phones or send to their messengers. It is especially dangerous if passwords are saved in the browser, as when fraudsters access the phone, they can gain full control over the owner's digital life. The best solution is to use password managers or store records offline.

In addition, financial income and transfer reports can reveal habits and income levels. The Ministry of Internal Affairs advises to regularly clear the history of bank messages to prevent data leakage.

The agency also warns against storing personal information such as card numbers, PIN codes, addresses and answers to security questions in messengers. If it cannot be deleted, it is recommended to use secure cloud storage for backup.

According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, special attention should be paid to photographs, especially of an intimate nature or working documents. The Agency recommends storing such images only in private cloud folders with a password, or deleting them if not necessary.

It is also important to be careful with your contacts and address book, as scammers can use this data for phishing or social engineering. Police advise you to regularly update your contact list, delete unnecessary ones, and keep important information in secure copies.

Craving for beauty: phone scammers began to attack Russians more often

Intruders take advantage of women's financial independence and empathy.

Earlier in the day, a new type of fraud was reported, in which attackers create digital copies of deceased people using neural network technologies. It is clarified that initially such developments were created for therapeutic purposes, helping people overcome loss through symbolic "communication" with the digital projection of the deceased.

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