The invention is applicable to the technical field of mobile terminals and provides an anti-theft protection method and device for a mobile terminal. The method comprises the following steps of: executing a startup operation after a startup triggering instruction is received; and during startup, monitoring and judging whether a screen preset position and/or a preset key of the mobile terminal are/is triggered or not, unlocking the mobile terminal when the condition that the screen preset position and/or the preset key of the mobile terminal are/is triggered is judged, and locking the mobile terminal or directly shutting down if the screen preset position and/or the preset key of the mobile terminal are/is not triggered. According to the method and the device, a system is not accessed yet when the mobile terminal is locked, so that a touch screen and keys of the mobile terminal do not respond to any operation; and an unlocking operation for users is verified from a drive level, and illegal users who do not know the unlocking operation cannot enter a background of the system and search and kill processes, so that the mobile terminal can be effectively protected from being cracked, and then, a good anti-theft protection effect is reached.