'iPhones are not safe where I live'

26 June 2009

The security minister Lord West has admitted he does not feel safe enough to carry around a smart phone in Hackney where he lives.

Instead Lord West said he carried a "stone age" mobile. He said this removed any risk of losing any sensitive or personal information, as a mugger or a hacker would not be interested in the device.

"You have opened yourself up to all these internet issues. Suddenly people can get access to all sorts of data," he said. Holding up his phone, he added: "It's also to stop being mugged. I live in Hackney. If they see that, they are more likely to feel sorry for me and give me a fiver."

It was easier for "these nasty bastards who will try to steal things" to obtain information from mobiles with internet links than from paper documents, he said. "In the old days, when people used quill pens, you had to knock the chap on the head and grab the letter from him. [Smart phones] make the individual more vulnerable if he's using them."

Lord West said there were a relatively small amount of secure smart phones in Westminster as there were fears over how secure they were if lost or stolen.