Just as the Nokia 3210 dominated the pockets of a nation back in 1999, today it’s the iPhone that rules the roost. Whether it’s a teen listening to music on the bus, a tourist getting creative with Instagram or a businessmen furiously tapping away at the screen as he sends off a vital report, iPhones are everywhere.

So when we’re inputting so much of our lives into one small device, it’s no wonder we want a little more security than just the 4-digit access pin the iPhone lets you set. If someone cracked that on my phone, they’d find they had access to not just my texts and contacts but all my emails, my photos and even my bank details, which are auto-saved in my banking app.

So I’ve done a little research of my own and put together a rundown of the top 6 security apps for the iPhone –

6. SyCrypt Safe (£1.49)
Safely store and secure PIN numbers, passwords, contact details and even notes with this cheap iPhone app. It sounds useful in theory and is much cheaper than its more famous counterparts (see Splash ID and 1Password Pro) but has no user ratings yet so only makes it to position 6 on my list.

5. Gadget Track (£2.49)
This award-winning app can track down your stolen iPhone for you in an instant, pinpointing its exact location on a map. Plus, it can even remotely control your iPhone’s camera and snap a photo of the thief so you have some evidence to show the police. This is a great little feature Find My iPhone doesn’t have, but you do have to pay for Gadget Track.

4. Virus Barrier (£1.99 first year, £1.19 per year thereafter)
It wasn’t long after the invention of computers before people started building viruses, and unfortunately there are iPhone viruses too. You wouldn’t leave your computer vulnerable without anti-virus software so why your phone? Protect yourself from them with this great, low-priced app that lets you scan email attachments and remote files (such as ones from Dropbox) for viruses before you open them.

3. 1Password Pro (£6.99)
It’s not cheap, but I think this award-winning app is well worth the price. If you, like me, have loads of different passwords to keep track of this useful little app will store them all securely and auto-fill them when needed — so even if someone is looking over your shoulder they won’t see your password! Oh, and you can store private or sensitive notes in the app too. It has plenty more ratings than Splash ID so seems to be the public’s favourite choice.

2. Virus Scan of Suspicious Websites (FREE)
Just as Virus Barrier scans your files for hidden threats before you open them, this neat little app uses no less than 20 virus scanners, including well known McAfee and Norton brands, to check each web site before you visit it. It takes 5-10 seconds per site, which could get annoying if you browse many sites a day, but you can’t complain at the price!

1. Find My iPhone (FREE)
Worried about losing your iPhone? This is by far my favourite app as it lets you do so much — it will track your phone down and show you where it is on a map, plus give you options to make it play a sound, lock it or send yourself a text message with your phone number, in case it is picked up by a honest passerby. Oh, and as a last resort you can even wipe all data on the phone remotely!

Do you know any other great security apps for the iPhone I’ve missed out?

Estelle Page blogs about security for Traders Warehouse, an online retailer of CCTV and other security equipment. Image via Twice Pix