Security software maker Kaspersky Lab has introduced Phound!, a free Android app that is designed to help users keep their smartphones and data safe.
Kaspersky Phound! offers remote access to a stolen device through My Kaspersky portal, where users will be able to block the device to prevent unauthorised access.
Users will also be able to track the device through GPS, GSM or Wi-Fi networks on the map and take photos through the front camera of the device, to locate the device or identify the person who stole it.
An alarm feature in the app will help users find the device if it is misplaced, with the alarm not sounding until the owner enters a secret code.
A survey of Internet users conducted by the company showed that over a one year period, one in 20 consumers lost their smartphone or tablet due to carelessness or theft. 38% claimed to have confidential data stored in their devices.
Kaspersky Lab senior product manager Alexey Chikov said, "For many users, mobile devices serve as storage for their most valuable and important data – contacts of friends and colleagues, personal messages, private photos and many other things. This means that today’s smartphones and tablets need the same security as a bank vault.
"That is why we created a solution for our users to prevent their mobile ‘vault’ from falling into the wrong hands."
