Today’s world has witnessed the inculcation of wireless technology into our everyday lives.  Mobile phones, in particular, have changed and improved the ways in which people connect and interact with each other.  Mobile technology successfully bridged the gap of time and distance, enabling people to instantly get in touch with one another at any given time and place.

However, as there are benefits when it comes to instant connectivity, it is not without its corresponding price.  It happens with just a click of the mouse.  The moment you make your identity “open” for the public to see, you are not only opening yourself up to connecting with potential friends, clients and partners.  Unfortunately, you also leave yourself vulnerable to fraudulent and malicious characters lurking in the Mobile Web.

A number of factors are at play when it comes to mobile privacy and security, especially now with the recent emergence of additional technology.  For instance, the advent of camera phones have caused quite a stir.  There have been incidents wherein camera phones, clipped to the belt or placed in a discreet location, were used by “undercover” criminals to document and send to the internet, or an associate/accomplice, the location of valuable contents of a victim’s home, or sometimes even more private/scandalous material.

Another privacy concern that has sprung up is the increase in the sending and receiving of unsolicited SMS messages, the mobile version of Internet Spam.  Mobile phone companies have been labeled as the main culprit here and the public has become more vocal about the irritation factor that this service has caused.  In some cases, mobile users have complained about being annoyed after opening a text message only to find a promotional message from a retailer advertising about a new product.  To top it all off, it came with a fee and the message was actually charged to a mobile phone user.

In addition, mobile phones with built-in bluetooth functions are immediately exposed to the prospect of being hacked.  Also, possible threats may emerge with the combining of mobile phone networks and the Internet.  Especially now with the advent of mobile sites.  People uploading their personal profiles and information into the Mobile Web are immediately prey to malicious peers.  However, a number of mobile site providers, Mobilemo for example, are addressing this issue by offering privacy setting features that enables mobile site owners the discretion to choose only a specific list of contacts and networks that may view their mobile sites and personal information.

It must be noted, however, that more than the technology, it is the people themselves that are responsible for these security and privacy concerns.  The technology is only there for people to use and take advantage of.  Ergo, as with every human encounter, there will always be risks that come along with its corresponding benefits.