Lost smartphones are likely to be mined for valuable information by strangers who find them, according to the results of a sting operation conducted by computer security firm Symantec. Symantec intentionally "lost" 50 smartphones at shopping centers, bus stops and other public places in cities in the United States and Canada and then monitored activity on devices by using embedded software.
The feedback showed "a very high likelihood of attempts to access both sensitive personal and business-related information will be made if a lost and unprotected smartphone is found by a stranger."