Many people choose to buy a new series of used smartphones because of their relatively cheap price. However, according to a Kaspersky study, some of these used smartphones have never been completely destroyed when sold.
Previous owner information is also at risk of being accessed by third parties.
The researchers analyzed more than 185 storage media devices such as memory cards and hard drives and found that 90 percent of the data remained on these devices.
Of the 90 percent of data entry, 16 percent provide direct access to old user information. Meanwhile, another 74 percent was extracted using file engraving, a method for recovering files from unaddressed space on storage media.
The data contained on the smartphones used also varies, from calendar notes containing meeting notes, personal photos and videos, tax documents, banking information, proof of entry, to medical information. In short, all this data would be dangerous if it fell into the wrong hands.
Research also found that 17 percent of used smartphones have virus scanners installed. This means users who buy used smartphones could potentially inherit malware from previous owners.
The head of GReAT Europe, Marco Preuss, says that in principle users must always store data on personal devices in an encrypted state. This happens if the device is lost or someone gains unauthorized access.
“When personal data falls into the wrong hands, it harms not only yourself but also friends, family, and even the company,” Marco said, quoted from a Kaspersky statement on Friday (5/2/2021).
Further, the Head of GReAT Germany, Christian Funk, said, a common misconception is that users only delete data or format storage that is considered clean data.
In fact, if there are users of the technology, they can recover this data. “That’s why it’s so important to do a thorough cleaning,” Christian said.
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