Reporting Elections, Safety and Security of Journalists

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36

unattended. Avoid displaying your phone in public.
Always use your phone’s pass code option. Always
change these from the default factory settings.
Physically mark (draw on) the SIM card, additional
memory card, battery and phone with something
unique and not immediately noticeable to a stranger.
Make sure that you are aware of the information that
is stored on your SIM card, on additional memory
cards and in your phone’s memory. Don’t store
sensitive information on the phone. If you need
to store such information, consider putting it on
external memory cards that can easily be discarded
when necessary – don’t put such details into the
phone’s internal memory.
Protect your SIM card and additional memory
card (if your phone has one), as they may contain
sensitive information such as contact details and SMS
messages. For example, make sure that you do not
leave them at the repair shop when your phone is
being serviced.
When disposing of your phone make sure you are not
giving away any information that is stored on it or on
the SIM or memory card (even if the phone or cards
are broken or expired). Disposing of SIM cards by
physically destroying them may be the best option. If
you plan to give away, sell or re-use your phone make
sure that all information is deleted.
Consider using only trusted phone dealers and
repair shops. This reduces the vulnerability of your
information when getting second-hand hand phones
or having your phone repaired. Consider buying
your phone from an authorised phone dealer – this

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