"All right, that's bad, okay. Important safety tip. Thanks, Egon."
When it comes to your precious BlackBerry you certainly have loads of personal information you don't want to lose track of. From emails to contacts to personal notes, lots of users have very sensitive information on their device that needs to stay locked down. The best and easiest way to make sure things stay safe is to use a password. I know what you're thinking. "Adam, this is a no brainer, why bother with this post?". While plenty of you use a password without even thinking, there are even more that don't - but everyone should. Setting up a password is simple and can be the line between keeping your personal data safe and losing it. Keep reading and I'll show you how easy it is to protect your device with a simple password so you won't have to worry about any prying eyes from getting to your goods.
Password protecting your BlackBerry
To setup a password on your BlackBerry you just need to follow a few simple steps. For OS 6 devices you can use Universal Search for password to go straight to the setup. OS 5 users can head to Options > Password.
From the Password screen, check the box next to Enable
Enter a password of your choosing (pick something you'll remember). You'll be asked to enter again to confirm. This can be something as simple as four digit number, or something more complex if you want to be super secure.
Set the number of password attempts (default is 10). This is how many times a user will be able to try for the correct password before the device wipes and resets. Keep in mind the lower this number the fewer chances you'll have to screw up before your device gets wiped.
Choose the amount of time before the device locks. This can be anywhere from one minute to an hour depending on your needs. I like to stick with 5 minutes. The time is from when your screen dims and your device is untouched. After the set amount of time the password lock will enable and you'll need to enter your password on the device.
The password can also double up a a keyboard/device lock. I set my convenience key to Password Lock so I have one click to lock my device as I'm not a huge fan of the lock button and sometimes don't want to wait for the lock to initiate after the time I have set.
You can also choose to have the password initiate when holstering the device (if you use a holster or pouch) and require a password for installing apps.
That's all there is to it. Using a password keeps all of your data safe and gives you peace of mind that no one can get at your info without your password. So don't be a dummy - password protect your device.
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