Investigation warns of data dangers associated with selling old phones
Wednesday, March 2, 2016 - 13:32:42
A study conducted by ITV News has revealed how common it is for old phones which people sell to third parties to retain some private data of their previous owners, even after having undergone a full factory reset.
In particular, the investigation focused on devices which are sold to high street stores and then made available for purchase by other members of the public. And a number of the handsets tested were found to offer access to sensitive information which most people would not want to fall into the wrong hands.
There have been a growing number of reports about the need for greater awareness about the security issues associated with selling an old phone. And, in general, the best advice is to recycle any unwanted device with a reputable company so that you can be sure of thorough data deletion being carried out.
Consumers are also advised to remove any microSD memory cards from smartphones before they sell them, because often even a factory reset of the device in question will not get rid of private data stored on removable media like this.
Identity theft and other types of fraud are increasingly common in the digital age. This is why various industry experts and government bodies are attempting to improve consumer habits when it comes to selling old phones, while also putting the right regulations in place to keep personal info safe.
The report found that almost two thirds of people are more conscious about the information they share online than they were in the past, but when it comes to selling old phones it pays to be more cautious than normal.
Respected mobile recycling providers will do all they can to delete private data, but customers should also take steps to get this process underway before they sell an old phone.
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