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| Home | How to wipe your HARD drive | How to wipe your Phone/PDA | ||
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How to wipe your Phone/PDA/Blackberry or similar devices Most mobile devices contain solid state memory which may retain your personal data after use. The data held on such devices varies from personal address book details to digital photographs however more modern devices store emails, diaries and even details of the geographic location of the device. Such information can be used to steal your identity, to blackmail you or for other illegal purposes. Leaving data on a computer is an extremely risky thing to do for a number of reasons. Wiping a mobile phone or PDA data securely is difficult and is not common to every device or manufacturer. For many users resetting the phone to factory preset might be considered to be sufficient however there are ways of recovering data even after such a reset. Your data SHOULD BE encrypted giving you additional security. Both encryption and a reset together is sufficient protection for non-critical data. Critical data should not be stored on a mobile device. All data should be encrypted and we would not recommend the use of any platforms which do not support encryption. Even if your device does have encryption please ensure it is switched on. It is amazing how many users switch it off because they don’t understand it. If you have valuable data and it is not encrypted and you are unable to securely erase your device then physical destruction might be your only option. Please REMOVE all batteries as they contain heavy metals and must be recycled. It is best to take your device to a professional recycling centre and insist on a certificate or destruction. You should avoid household municipal waste site or civil amenity sites (local tips) as they sell some waste and there is evidence that this material ends up in such places as Africa and Asia potentially along with your data and your identity. We understand that some of you will simply end up taking a hammer to your device if you have been unable to do the above. We do not condone this however, REMOVE all batteries as they contain heavy metals and must be recycled. Split the phone open and recycle the plastic parts if applicable. Take care of glass and where protective clothing. Remove the circuit board. Hit with a hammer and nail or similar sharp object the centre of each and every integrated circuits (chip) and make sure they are severely damaged. You can now take the device to the household municipal waste site or civil amenity sites (local tip) with a reasonable level on certainty the data is safe. Please ensure your data is encrypted in your shiny new phone! Blancco’s Flash Wipe product Blancco’s File Shredder Product These methods do not remove the data The amount of data held on portable or mobile devices is increasing massively every year. This data can compromise the owner and the organisations they may work for or with. Data may be retained on mobile phones, Personal Digital Assistants (PDA), Blackberry or similar devices, USB pens/storage, Satellite Navigation devices and even some watches. We strongly recommend that all mobile or portable devices where data is not held in a secure environment should have the data protected using suitable encryption. Encryption can be complicated and advice from a professional should be sought however “A Beginner's Guide to Encryption” can be found at this external LINK ** Approved to UK Government Standard: InfoSec Standard 5 - Enhanced Note: How To Wipe Your Drive does not warrant or endorse any of the products listed herein. Professional advice, services and guarantees should be sought where data is considered confidential or of high value. How To Wipe Your Drive thanks and acknowledges the University of Minnesota for their contribution to this site. |
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 Protection Against Identity Theft |
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