Smartphone Thefts Nearly Double in 2013

As the debate over kill-switch technology heats up in the U.S., a new survey has revealed just how prevalent smartphone thefts have become.

Some 3.1 million Americans had their phones stolen in 2013, a huge increase from the year before, according to the survey from Consumer Reports. In comparison, around 1.6 million people in the U.S. were the victim of smartphone theft in 2012, meaning the number of victims nearly doubled in a year.

On top of that, people are also losing more phones. Last year, U.S. consumers lost and never reccovered 1.4 million smartphones, up from 1.2 million in 2012.

There are a number of basic steps you can take to guard your phone against thieves, but many users are not sufficiently protecting themselves, the survey found. Just 36 percent of respondents said they set a screen lock with a 4-digit pin, though that was a 50 percent increase from 2012, indicating that consumers are becoming more vigilant.

Even so, just 29 percent backed up their smartphone data to a computer or the cloud, while a mere 22 percent installed software that could locate a lost or stolen phone. Even fewer installed an anti-virus or remote wipe app, used a PIN longer than 4 digits, or enabled encryption. Worse yet, 34 percent said they took no precautions whatsoever.

The survey comes as the biggest names in electronics manufacturing this week signed on to integrate "kill switch" technology, which can remotely disable a stolen smartphone, into their new handsets. As of July 2015, models built for retail sale in the U.S. will offer a baseline anti-theft tool which can render the device inoperable if lost or stolen.

Regulators pushing for kill-switch technology, however, said the pledge doesn't go far enough since it's opt-in and will not take effect until July 2015.

New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and San Francisco District Attorney George Gascón joined forces for the "Secure Our Smartphones" initiative last year, pushing major phone makers to install kill-switch tech in their devices. Today, the duo said that the Consumer Reports survey is "the latest reminder of the urgent need for the wireless industry to take action now and end this global epidemic."

"These findings show how critical it is for the industry to fast-track implementation of these solutions on an opt-out basis," they said. "These solutions must be enabled by default."

For more, watch PCMag Live in the video below, which discusses the doubling of cell phone theft in one year.