Tips-How to prevent phone and tablet theft

if you're under the age of 25, there's almost an even chance you have lost your cell phone or had it stolen at least once. According to a Pew Research Center survey conducted last April, 45 percent of cell phone users between the ages of 18 and 24 have had a phone lost or stolen.

The survey also found that 3 out of 10 cell phone users between the ages of 35 and 54 have misplaced their device or had it stolen, as Kashmir Hill reports on Forbes.com.

There's nothing new about cell phones being popular targets for thieves, but today's smartphone is a full-fledged computer that stores all kinds of sensitive personal data: passwords, contacts, documents, Internet history, and more.

One reason smartphones are so popular with thieves is how easy it has been to reprogram and resell the devices. Verizon, Sprint, and (more recently) AT&T make it more difficult to resell a phone that someone has reported to the carriers as stolen. T-Mobile is expected to provide a similar service soon.

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission made news last spring by announcing joint initiatives with carriers and law enforcement to create a centralized database of lost and stolen cell phones. The database promises to serve as a deterrent to cell phone thefts, but it is still many months away.

Lower your phone's profile in public-
A young woman I know has had three iPhones stolen in the last three months. In each case she was using the phone while waiting for the bus to or from school. She now waits until she's on the bus before taking the phone out of her bag.

Students should know their electronic devices are at risk when they're using them in a library, at a coffee shop or restaurant, or while in transit on public transportation, particularly when boarding or leaving a bus, streetcar, or train.